Age Doesn't Matter
by CharlieBoneFan
Summary: AU. Touko meets a nineteen year old N at the age of eight. N ran way from Team Plasma to escape his father. He and Touko become friends. N unknowingly falls head over heels for an eight year old. Will Touko return the feelings as years pass? What will happen to the pair? What is Ghetsis doing about N? Ferriswheelshipping.
1. A Destined Encounter

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.**

**A/N: The cover picture inspired this story. Also, if any of you have ever watched Ef- A Tale of Melodies, than you are awesome. I really love Kuze and Mizuki. They have a large age difference but love each other. I predict them having an age difference of 8 to 12 years. This story is sort of going to be like that.**

**Ages: Touko-8 and N-19**

Touko's POV

I was walking through the woods that were right next to my home town, Nuvema Town. I loved to explore the wilderness and see all of the wild Pokémon. I was climbing over a dead tree that lay on its side when I heard a noise. It sounded like a quiet sobbing sound, like someone was crying. My mind told me to run back home but my curiosity got the best of me. Mommy said that I've always been the oddball that likes to check out the dangerous things. I weaved my way through the trees and brush towards the source of the sound. I made it to a small clearing where I saw a boy leaning against a tree crying. His knees were drawn up to his chest as he cried. He looked like a teenager. He was tall and had long tea green hair. "Hello" I called out quietly from the tree I was behind. The boy's head shot up and started scanning the surrounding area.

"H-H-Hello?" the boy called out.

"Hi" I said while stepping out of the clearing but keeping my distance from the boy. Mommy said to stay away from strangers. As I stepped in to the light, I could see him more clearly now that I was closer to him. He wore long tan pants, a white dress shirt over a black turtle-neck sweater, green sneakers, black and white hat, a gold cube hooked on his pocket, gold bangles, another bracelet, and a strange necklace. His face was tear-stained.

"W-Who are you?" he asked me.

"My name is Touko White. What about you?"

"Natural Harmonia Gropius, N Harmonia for short."

"What's wrong mister?" I asked the boy, N.

"Nothing" he mumbled.

"Liar! You're crying so something is obviously wrong" I huffed while crossing my arms. I started to tap my foot, impatiently waiting for the truth.

"Maybe you should just mind your own business, little girl" N growled out. I was unfazed. I stared at him determinedly and sat down in the grass in front of him. I smoothed out my dress and scooted closer to the boy. N sighed. "You're not going to leave unless I tell you what's wrong, are you?"

"Nope" I said with a sickly sweet smile on my face.

"Fine. I'll tell you, but only because I have to get this off my chest." I nodded in encouragement. "I'm sad because my father kicked me out. He said that I am a freak that has no heart, and that's why I don't have any friends. How can he do that? I am a king. Literally, I am or was the King of Team Plasma. My father, who is a lower authority than me, kicked me, the King, out of my castle" N said before crying again. I felt bad for the boy and stood up from where I was at. He lowered his legs and straightened them out on the ground. I walked up to N and wiped away his tears with my thumbs. He opened his eyes and watched me as I continued my actions.

"I don't think you're a freak, N. Besides, we can prove your father wrong. I'll be your friend" I said happily. N seemed like a nice guy.

"R-Really?" N asked me.

"Really." I put my hand out for N so that I could help him stand up. He gently grabbed my hand, and I tried to pull him up. N laughed at my struggle with his weight. I put my other hand over his and used all my strength to pull him up. He pushed his other hand off the ground and helped me help him. He stood up to his full height. He was really really tall. The top of my head only reached his belly. I grabbed his hand and led him towards my house.

"You're pretty cute, Touko. I like your outfit too" N said.

"Thanks" I replied while looking down at my outfit. I had on a white dress with a small black vest over it and small black boots. I hated dress shoes. My hair was in a ponytail with two small strands loose on either side of my face to frame it. A small pink clip pinned back each of my two loose strands. "So how old are you?" I asked N as we walked.

"Nineteen. What about you?" N asked.

"Eight. I'll be nine in a few months" I said proudly while pumping a fist in the air. N laughed at my actions. I ignored him and picked up my pace towards my house. We dodged trees and rocks as we walked. My house came into view, and we burst into the open, the wall of trees behind us. "Here we are, Nuvema Town!" I stated, throwing my arms out to add a dramatic affect to our arrival.

"This place looks homey. It is small and has a comforting feeling to it" N said.

"Why don't we go see my mom? Maybe, she can help you find a place to stay."

"Touko, I never said that I was looking for a place to stay."

"But you said that you got kicked out of your castle, right? If so, then you need somewhere to stay" I concluded.

"Fine" N sighed.

"Yeah! Afterwards, we can play, right? I have a whole bunch of stuffed animals or maybe we can play house or maybe we can dress up?" I blurted out.

"Uh…I don't know" N said awkwardly.

"Please" I whined. I clasped my hands together and made a pouty face. I looked up at N and stared at him, trying to make a cute face.

"Touko, I really don't—" N started saying. I cut him off by crying. N is a big meanie. He doesn't want to play. I looked up at him with my big blue eyes. N started to panic and look around frantically like he didn't know what to do. I ran away from him and into my house. My mom heard me come in and looked at me. She ran to my side once she saw that I was crying.

"Oh sweetie, what's wrong?" my mom asked.

"My new friend won't play with me. He needs a place to stay so I told him that you could help him find a place. Then I asked him if he wanted to play, and he said no" I explained while sniffling.

"Honey, doesn't he have any parents? Is he lost? What does your little friend look like? What is his name?"

"His daddy kicked him out of his castle. He was a King there. I think he is outside somewhere. His name is Natural" I said. Mommy gave me a hug. I heard the doorknob turn behind me, and I glanced over my shoulder. The door swung open and a panic-stricken N stood in the doorway. He spotted me and rushed to my side. He knelt down on one knee and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Look Touko, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I just never had a friend to play with, so when you asked me, it made me nervous. I felt like if I played with you than I wouldn't know what to do. I promise I'll play with you later, okay?" N promised. I wiped my face with the back of my hand and studied N's face. He seemed sincere. I sniffled before giving him a weak smile.

"I forgive you, N" I said while giving him a hug. His body tensed up under me, but he hesitantly returned the gesture. Hasn't anyone given him a hug before?

"Y-You're Natural?" my mom stuttered out.

"Yes, it's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. White" N greeted with a slight bow.

"Oh my, when Touko said that she made a new friend, I thought she meant someone much younger. But now that you are here, I understand. Touko said you needed a place to stay, right?" mommy asked N.

"Yes, ma'am" N said.

"Well there is a house up for sale nearby. It's only a few houses down. You could stay there. Do you have any money?"

"Yeah, I have plenty of money" N said.

"Well then, why don't we go check out that house?" my mom said. She grabbed my hand and led us to the door. I tore my hand away from my mom's and grabbed N's instead. He seemed a little surprised but didn't pull away from my grasp. He looked down at me and smiled. I smiled up at him in return. I pulled him towards the house for sale and let my mom follow behind.

"Here we are" I said while walking up to the front door and opening it. Inside, there was a small kitchen and living room from what we could see. N walked around looking at every little detail of the house. Once we looked at the downstairs, which consisted of a living room, kitchen, bathroom, closet, and washer and dryer room, we went upstairs. The upstairs had a bedroom, guest room, bathroom, another closet, and a small room for anything you wanted.

"Wow, this place looks so big with no furniture in here" my mom stated.

"Yeah. I like it. It's like a giant play house. What do you think, N?" I questioned the tall boy as he inspected everything.

"I think that it's…perfect" N praised.

"It's a little big for one person, but it is cheap. Houses in little towns are never very much money" mommy said.

"That's okay, as long as I know someone around here, I'll be okay" N said while winking at me. I giggled. N was strange, a good strange. After we left the house, my mom wrote down the phone number of the old owners, and we walked back home. The house that was for sale was four houses down from my own. It was a short walk. Once inside my house, my mom grabbed a phone and dialed the number of the people that wanted to sell the house. She handed N the phone. N talked to the old owners for an hour before he hung up. He was grinning uncontrollably.

"Well, did you get the house?" my mom asked N.

"Yep, and they even lowered the price because I'm unemployed and only nineteen. They said I can move in right away and will send the deed over in the mail. I just have to sign the transfer papers and send them back when I'm done, then the house will officially be mine" N said.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah! N's going to be one of our neighbors. Now, I can see him anytime I want" I cheered while dancing around the room. N laughed and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. I stopped dead in my tracks as I realized something.

"N, you still need to buy furniture. How are you going to afford all of it?" I asked him. N chuckled.

"Don't you remember that I said that I was a King? I have all of the money I need. Trust me, there is more than enough to last me a life time" N said like it was nothing, waving it off with the wave of his hand.

"Wow, so you're rich?" I said with awe.

"I guess" N said nonchalantly.

"Wow, when Touko said that you were a King, I thought she was joking" my mom said in disbelief.

"Nope" N said.

"Then why are you moving into such a small town and in such a small house? You could live in a mansion or condo in some fancy city or something" my mom questioned.

"Well, I don't know anybody outside my castle. I don't even know the region very well. My father never let me leave the castle" N sighed.

"Well now you know us, and I can show you around the surrounding area" I suggested.

"That sounds amazing, Touko" N beamed.

"I can even introduce you to my friends. Maybe, they'll want to be your friend too" I said.

"Maybe" N said unsurely then frowned.

"Don't be such a frowny pants. I'm sure they'll love you" I said. "Now come on, you got your house so let's play. I want to play house." I grabbed N's hand and dragged him up the stairs and into my room. My room contained a single bed, a TV and Wii, computer, toy box, dresser, tote full of dress up clothes, and small play plastic kitchen. The kitchen was fully stocked with plastic utensils and plastic food. "Okay, so you can be the daddy, and I'll be the mommy."

"Ummm, how does that work out exactly? I'm like eleven years older than you. Isn't that sort of wrong?" N asked me. I stared at him with a blank expression. The only hint that I gave him to show that I heard him was that I blinked a few times. "You know, falling in love and getting married with that much of an age difference?" N said to clarify things more.

"Ohhh" I said. "Haven't you played house before? This isn't real. We can pretend that we're the same age, silly." N started blushing out of embarrassment.

"I told you that I never played any games with anyone before. I've only played games that can be played by myself. I did have sisters, but they weren't much fun. They didn't like to play many games. If they did want to play a game, then it was either a board game or just playing with Pokémon, nothing else."

"Sorry" I said apologetically.

"Huh? For what?"

"Sorry, that you didn't have anyone to play with" I said sadly, tears started to form at the corners of my eyes.

"Hey, don't worry about it. I've got you to play with now" N said. He wiped away my tears with his thumb like I did to him earlier. I gave him a small smile.

"Let's get started" I announced. I grabbed my small white chef's hat out of my dress up tote and put it on N's head after removing his cap. I grabbed the apron too and slipped it over his head and tied it around his back. I threw on a pair of pink fairy wings. I grabbed a wand and spatula. N took the spatula from my hand and stood on his knees in front of my fake stove. He pulled out a pan and threw on some fake burgers. He flipped them like he was cooking for a BBQ while whistling at the same time.

"I'm home" I called out as I walked up to N. I pecked him on the cheek. He stopped his whistling and his face turned a little red. He shook his head before looking at me.

"How was your day at work? Did you grant anyone's wishes?"

"Yep" I chirped. "I helped a few people. But right now, I just want to relax. I'm exhausted from using my magic powers. I want to talk about what you did. I really missed you since I love you so much."

"I missed you too. I actually just got back from work. My team and I had to explore the candy jungle. We discovered a secret chocolate spring" N said, trying to sound convincing but failing. We looked at each other a laughed. I fell onto the ground with N beside me. He was so weird, but I like weird. We are going to be good friends.

**A/N: Sorry, if you thought this idea was stupid. Also, stop reading if you have a problem with romances that have large age differences. Review and tell me what you think.**


	2. New Friends and Faces

N's POV

Touko and I finished playing after two exhausting hours of living in a world of make-believe. It was getting late, so I said my goodbyes and left. I walked to my new house with my hands in my pockets. I spotted the For Sale sign up ahead. I yanked it out of the ground as I walked by, tucking it under my arm. I threw open the front door to my new house and tossed the sign to the side. I would dispose of it in the morning. I walked up to my room and lay down on the old mattress. I fell asleep instantly, a smile on my face. I finally had a friend.

_In the morning…_

"N?! N?! Are you awake yet?!" I cracked open my eyes to see sun pouring in through the blinds on my window. I sat up and groaned. I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand. I looked for the source of the voice, but nobody was in my room.

"Hello?!" I called out, the sound echoed throughout the house.

"N, you are awake. Get down here right away, mister. We have a surprise waiting for you" I heard a child's voice yell. There was only one person that I knew who could have that voice, Touko.

"I'm coming. Hold on" I got off the bed and stretched. I scratched my head afterwards. I felt hair. Where's my hat? I looked around the room before realizing that I left it at Touko's. I groaned for the second time today and trudged down the stairs. I was greeted by a kitchen full of people. Actually there were only about eight people, but still.

"Surprise!" everyone yelled.

"Huh?" I said dumbfounded.

"Good morning, Natural" Mrs. White said.

"Morning" I said confused. "What's going on?" I asked while eyeballing everyone suspiciously.

"Well, Touko here thought that we should throw you a house warming party" Mrs. White explained.

"Do you like it, N?" Touko said while coming up to me. She looked up at me with such big blue eyes and a cute face that I couldn't say no to it, even if I was a little uncomfortable with all the people.

"I love it. Thank you." I hugged the young girl. She let go of me and pulled something out from behind her back. It was my hat. She gently placed it on my head.

"Let me introduce you to everyone" Touko said. She grabbed my hand and dragged me towards a family.

"This is Bianca and her mom and dad" Touko said while motioning towards a young blonde girl about Touko's age and her parents.

"Nice to meet you" I said while shaking hands with the parents. "Nice to meet you too, Bianca." I grabbed the little girl's hand and kissed the back of it. She giggled.

"Bianca is one of the friends I was telling you about. She is eight just like me. Now come on let's go meet Cheren. He's my other friend." Touko took my hand again and dragged me to the other family of three, two adults and a young black-haired boy. "Here, this is Cheren and his parents."

"Hello" I greeted. I shook hands with the two adults and knelt down in front of the boy. "You must be Cheren. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Yeah, I guess. Welcome to the neighborhood. I hope you enjoy it here" Cheren said in a bored like tone, rolling his eyes. He crossed his arms over his chest. Touko grabbed my hand and pulled me away from them. She motioned for me to come closer to her, so she could tell me something. I crouched down and leaned towards her so that she could whisper in my ear.

"Sorry about, Cheren. He's always like that. He would rather be at home learning about Pokémon or reading. I mean he loves to play with me and Bianca too, but he's not too thrilled about being here right now. He thinks that he's wasting his time" Touko whispered. "Oh, and he's nine."

"I see" I said quietly.

"He'll warm up to you. I'm sure we'll all be great friends. Bianca already seems to like you" Touko said happily. I glanced at the blonde girl, and she giggled and waved. I let off a small nervous laugh and waved back. "Don't let Bianca freak you out. She's harmless. I promise." I gave Touko a look that said 'I'm not convinced.' Bianca was giving me the creeps. I glanced back over at her, and she was creepily staring at me. I shivered. "Come on. My mom prepared you a special welcome breakfast. If we don't hurry, it will get cold." Touko and I walked over to the old rickety table, which I would need to replace, and sat down at one of the chairs. Different breakfast foods covered every inch of the table.

"You didn't have to do all this for me" I said completely embarrassed.

"No, we did. It's our 'welcome to our town' present" Mrs. White said. I just nodded and filled my plate with food. Everyone else did the same once they sat down. We told each other stories while we ate. The adults talked amongst each other while I listened to the kids as they told me stories. Cheren talked about what he wanted to be once he was older. Bianca said what she wanted to do too, but her father told her no afterwards. He must have been eavesdropping. Touko talked after her friends, but she didn't talk about herself or what she wanted to do. She talked about her father's journeys. Once everyone finished eating and talking, we cleaned up and then everyone left except for Mrs. White and Touko.

"So Natural? How about we go to the furniture store today? Do you have your driver's license?" Mrs. White asked.

"Yeah, but I don't have a car" I said.

"Right, silly me. I'll drive then. Come along" Mrs. White said while motioning for Touko and me to follow.

"Yeah! We'll help you pick out pretty furniture, N" Touko cheered. "But nothing pink, okay? Pink is for girls."

"Touko!" Mrs. White scolded. "Maybe N likes the color pink."

"No. No. It's okay Mrs. White. I think pink is a nice color, but I don't want any furniture that color" I said. She nodded and continued her walk to the car. Touko was close by my side. Wow, she has been really close to me. I swear that she likes me more than her mom. We all gathered into the vehicle and drove off towards the furniture store. We arrived there half an hour later. We roamed around the store looking at the varieties of items. We looked at everything from beds and couches to lamps and light bulbs. I bought everything needed for each room and when I mean everything needed for each room, I mean a lot of stuff. I bought everything needed for the laundry room, bathrooms, kitchen, living room, and bedrooms. This would cost me a fortune, but I didn't care. I was going to use the credit card that used father's money. This is just payback for what he did. I have my own credit card with my money on it, but I'll use that on cheaper stuff.

"Hey N? What are you going to use that extra room in your house for?" Touko asked me.

"I never thought about. Maybe, I'll use it for Pokémon. I mean I have eight of my own, and I used to help injured Pokémon. I can start doing that again. I can use that room to care for sick or abandoned Pokémon. Yeah, that's what I'll do with it."

"Wow, N. That sounds great. You must really care for Pokémon" Mrs. White said.

"Of course" I said like it was obvious. Touko and her mother blinked. I blinked too. Awkward.

"Anyway, how about you walk over to the clothing store next door? You can get some new clothes over there. Touko and I can walk across the street and get some groceries" Mrs. White suggested.

"Sure" I said. Touko's mother nodded and started to walk off. "Wait, here is some money for my groceries." I handed Mrs. White a wad of cash. She looked surprised but took the money and grabbed Touko's hand. She started walking towards the crosswalk. Touko struggled to escape from her mother's grasp. She broke free after they were a few feet away.

"I want to go with N" Touko whined while running up to me and grasping onto my shirt. She buried her head in my stomach. Touko's mother looked up at me apologetically. I waved my hand to tell her to go. I would watch Touko. She smiled and crossed the street.

"Okay, come on then" I said. I started to walk away from Touko, so she ran up to me and grabbed my hand. We walked into the clothing store and started to hunt for some clothes. We walked around and grabbed a few things. I bought the exact same outfit I had before, but I got twelve other sets. Now I had thirteen sets of the same outfit. Touko grabbed a few things and tried them on just to see what they would look like on her. I bought her a few things too, just to use up some more of my father's money. Wait, till he sees what I did. We left the store once we paid for our purchases. Touko's mom was waiting in the car.

"How'd it go?" she asked.

"Great! N bought some new clothes, and he got me some stuff too" Touko chirped.

"He did, did he?" Mrs. White smirked while raising an eyebrow. I let out a nervous chuckle and rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly.

"Yeah, some of the stuff I let her try on just looked so cute on her" I said sheepishly.

"Did she behave?"

"Yeah, she was an angel" I said. Touko squealed with joy.

"Good. We better get going. You got your furniture to be express delivered. The trucks might get to your house soon" Mrs. White explained.

"Right, let's go!" I stated. We got to my house in record time. Luckily, the delivery trucks weren't there yet. To pass the time, I asked Touko if she wanted to come with me into the woods. She said yes. I asked her to lead me to the spot she found me the day before because I left something there. It took a few minutes, but we found the small clearing. I searched for a tree with a hole under. I found it and stuck my hand in the hole. I felt what I was looking for and pulled out two items. In my hand, I held a white robe and a gold crown.

"What are those?" Touko asked me.

"This is the crown and robe I wore when I was King" I answered. She stared at the items with her mouth hanging open. I handed her the items to carry. We walked back home in silence. She just inspected my crown and robe the whole way back. When we arrived, two large trucks pulled up beside my house. I ran up to them to greet the drivers. We talked for a few short minutes before I directed them where to put my stuff. Four hours later, everything was in place and the appliances were installed. Mrs. White came over, once the men left, with my groceries. We placed everything in cabinets and in the refrigerator. Everything was finally in place, and I was officially moved in.

"This place looks brand new" Mrs. White complimented.

"Yeah and it's all thanks to you and Touko" I said smiling.

"Where is Touko anyway?"

"Ummm…."

"Please don't tell me you lost her" Mrs. White said with panic in her voice.

"I was with her a few hours ago outside. I haven't seen her since. Maybe she is still out there. Let's go check" I said quickly. I rushed out the door and quickly scanned the area. I didn't see her, but I did hear someone laugh. I rushed past a house and turned towards the direction the noise came from. I stopped dead in my tracks once I saw Touko sitting on the ground with Cheren and Bianca. Touko wore my crown while Cheren wore my robe. I ran up to Touko and embraced her in a hug. "I thought I lost you" I mumbled into her hair.

"I'm right here" Touko said softly while giving me a hug back. I ended the hug but still held her by the shoulders.

"Touko, you need to tell me or your mother where you go next time, okay? She's probably worried sick. We had no idea where you were."

"I'm sorry" Touko said. She hung her head in shame.

"It's okay. I forgive you. Now let's go. You didn't get to see my house yet." Touko looked up immediately and smiled. She asked Cheren for my robe back and said her goodbyes before following me back to my place.

"Touko, I'm so glad you're okay!" Mrs. White said once we stepped through the door. She wrapped he daughter in a bear crushing hug.

"Mom…can't…breathe…let…go" Touko said.

"Sorry" her mother apologized. I let Touko and her mother talk and explore the house, so I went upstairs and put my new clothes, crown, and robe in my closet. When I got downstairs, Touko and her mother were about to leave.

"Hey, N?" Touko said in her sweet voice.

"Huh?"

"I just wanted to say that I'm glad I met you. I really like you. Do you like me?" I blushed at what Touko just said. Nobody ever said that they liked me before. Nobody.

"Yeah, I do. I do like you." Touko's face turned red, and she buried her face in her mom's shirt.

"Well, see you tomorrow" Mrs. White said.

"See you tomorrow" I said back.

"Bye" Touko said meekly, waving in the process.

"See ya" I said. When I finished my goodbyes, both females walked out the door and left me alone in my newly furnished house. Why did I feel so sad to see both go? Especially Touko? I sighed. "I better make dinner."

**A/N: Isn't Touko just so cute? Leave a review.**


	3. Sudden Proposal

Touko's POV

I was so happy last night when N told me that he liked me. Now, we can be friends forever. I just hope that he doesn't go back to his daddy and castle. "Touko? Touko?"

"Huh? What?" I blurted out.

"You were spacing out again" Cheren said in annoyance from where he was sitting on the ground.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about, N" I said quietly.

"Who cares about him? He's probably a rich snob. Isn't that what all kings are like? Spoiled and selfish" Cheren grumbled.

"No! I think he is really handsome. He is such a gentleman. Don't you think, Touko?" Bianca defended.

"I don't know. I just know that he's really nice and friendly. He loves Pokémon. His favorite color is green. He doesn't use his money for selfish reasons. He can drive, cook, and…" I trailed off. There were so many things about him that I already know.

"Whoa, slow down. We get it. You two are already really good friends" Cheren said.

"He sounds wonderful. When I'm older, I want to marry him. Is that okay with you, Touko?" Bianca said with a hint of plead in her tone of voice.

"Why are you asking me? It's not like I want to marry him. Besides, I think he is why too old for you or me. Don't you agree, Cheren?" I said hotly. My face was burning up from embarrassment. He is only my friend, really. Besides, I like someone else. I blushed at the thought and cast a glance at Cheren. I turned away quickly once he looked at me. Why was he so cute in a nerdy way?

"Yeah, it will never work out. You're only in elementary school, and he is an adult. Stop thinking that everything can be fantasy" Cheren said bluntly.

"No! I will marry, N. You just wait and see. I love him, and he loves me. He already kissed me…so there" Bianca huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"It wasn't a real one. It was a greeting. It is a custom for rich people to kiss people on the hands when they meet. Besides, he doesn't know you that well. I think you creep him out. He only likes Touko. I mean do you see the way he looks at her. He also does what she wants and clings to her. He is putty in her hands" Cheren stated. Bianca and I stared at the raven haired boy in disbelief.

"He-He doesn't love me, you nerd!" I shouted in rage, but I was a little flustered. Said nerd looked at me before realizing what I said. He started to panic, flailing his arms around to show it too.

"No-No I didn't mean it like that. I meant that he is like a big brother that found his long lost sister and is showering her with anything she wants, so that she will like him forever. I meant a brother-sister relationship type thing" Cheren quickly explained.

"Ohhh" Bianca and I said.

"Sheesh, is all you girls think about is love?" Cheren grunted.

"Sorry" we both apologized.

"Whatever" Cheren said.

"So where is my lovely N at the moment?" Bianca asked sweetly, a little too sweetly if you ask me. I pondered on it for a moment before I was about to answer, but that 'lovely N' walked up to us before I got to speak.

"Hey, Touko? What to see the room I prepared for the injured Pokémon? Cheren and Bianca can come too if they like" N said to me and only me. He never cast a glance at Cheren or Bianca when saying their names.

"I'd love to. What about you guys?" I said cheerily.

"Pass" Cheren said while walking away. He was probably going to go study up on Pokémon some more. That's one thing I love about him.

"I'll go" Bianca chirped before standing up and clinging onto N, literally. She was holding onto his arm and hand with all her might like she was trying to prevent him from getting away. I just grabbed his hand gently. N's face was red and sweaty. He must be nervous or scared. I would be scared too, however, if I had Bianca latching on to me like that. We walked to his house and went upstairs. The extra room, that had nothing in it yesterday, now had a small playground and beds. There was a small plastic slide, balls, a small jungle gym thing, small beds of different sizes, cabinets, a mini fridge, and a medicine cabinet.

"Wow" Bianca and I breathed out.

"Do you like it?" N asked. I didn't answer; I just looked up at him in amazement. I could see a hint of desperation in his eyes. Was he looking for my approval?

"I think it's incredible. Pokémon can rest and play in here" Bianca said while twirling around the room.

"I think that the Pokémon will feel right at home" I said softly.

"Really? You think so?" N said.

"Yeah" I said. I squeezed his hand reassuringly before letting go to look around. Everything was brand new. N sure doesn't care about how much money he uses.

"We'll come on. I have to get a shower, and I can't have you wandering around my house" N said. I grabbed Bianca's hand and dragged her down the stairs. I threw the door open and dragged her out. She flailed around, trying to get out of my grasp and back to N.

"Touko, let go!" I didn't get to ask N if he loved me. I wanted to ask him to marry me" Bianca whined.

"He's too old for you" I said. I dragged Bianca a couple more feet away from N's house before letting her go.

"I don't care how old he is. We're soul mates" Bianca insisted.

"I doubt it" I grumbled. Bianca sat down beside me in silence. We sat there for a few minutes until I heard a loud screech coming from the forest. "Did you hear that?"

"No, what?"

"I think something's in trouble" I yelled, jumping to my feet. I started running to the forest. It's a good thing I wore jeans today. I looked over my shoulder to see if Bianca was following. She wasn't. "Are you coming?"

"I don't really like the forest. It's scary. I'm not as brave as you" Bianca said quietly.

"Fine, then go get Professor Juniper" I said quickly. I ran straight into the forest towards the screeching noise. The noise got louder as I neared a large clearing. I never explored here yet. I shook the thought of looking around from my mind and searched for the source of the noise. I saw a fluffy ball of brown fur on the ground. I ran up to it without hesitating. It was a Lillipup. The poor thing was breathing fast and barely moving, a howl escaping its mouth every few minutes. "It's okay. I'll take care of you." I tried to pick it up, but it snapped at me. "Don't be scared. I won't hurt you. I promise." I tried to pick it up for a second time. It growled but didn't snap. It must really be drained of energy. I held it my arms and started carrying it back to Nuvema Town.

"Touko?! Touko?!" I heard a voice call.

"Over here" I yelled back. I heard a rustling before Bianca and N burst through the brush. N didn't have any shirt or shoes on.

"What's that?" Bianca questioned while pointing at the scrap of fur in my arms.

"It's a Lillipup. I have to take it back to town. It's in really bad shape" I explained. N stared at the Lillipup for a while before looking at me.

"Come on. We can take it to my place" N said quickly before rushing off. I ran after him with Bianca hot on my trail. We went into his house and up to the room for injured Pokémon. I laid the Lillipup down on a small bed. N began examining it right away.

"I thought I told you to get Professor Juniper" I whispered angrily to Bianca.

"I went to the lab, but she wasn't there. I didn't know what to do, so I got N instead. I'm glad I did though. When I came into the house, N was only wearing a towel" Bianca squealed.

"Bianca!" I yelled. Girls our age shouldn't be thinking about those things. Why do Cheren, Bianca, and I have to be blessed with wisdom beyond our years? N glanced at us for a second before looking back at the Lillipup. It yapped and growled a few times, but N didn't seem to care.

"How is it?" I asked. I stood next to N and carefully watched Lillipup.

"It has a few cuts and bruises. There is also something blocking its airway. I have to work on getting that out first" N said.

"How do you know?" I asked.

"It told me" N said simply. What did he mean by that? N gently opened Lillipup's mouth and held it open. "Touko, can you gently rub its throat to relax the muscles?"

"Uh-huh" I said. I gently stroked its fur covered throat. N used his free hand to reach inside Lillipup's mouth and down its throat to grab whatever was lodged inside. Lillipup squirmed a little, but N's hand came out a second later with a half-eaten Oran Berry.

"There we go" N said with relief. "I better apply some Super Potion now."

"Wow, what happened?"

"Lillipup, got injured and tried to heal itself by eating an Oran Berry but swallowed it on accident" N said.

"Oh…wait! How do you know?"

"Lillipup told me" N said.

"But, Pokémon can't talk" I said.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. I can hear the inner thoughts of Pokémon" N said.

"Oh wow" Bianca said in awe.

"Cool" I said. "Will Lillipup be okay now?"

"Yes. He just needs some rest. How about we go down stairs for a little bit and have a snack? When we're done, we can come back up and check on him" N suggested.

"Sure" I said. We all went downstairs and sat at the table. N brought out some milk and cookies. We all got our share and started to eat.

"Hey, N?" Bianca said. Her face was all red. Oh, no.

"Yeah, Bianca?" N asked while sipping on his milk.

"When I get older, will you marry me?" Bianca said. N spit out his milk and started choking. I jumped up from my seat and started slapping N on the back with my hand.

"Wh-Wh-huh?" N stuttered.

"I love you a lot and wanted to get married" Bianca clarified.

"Uhhhh, well" N said before sighing. "I'm sorry Bianca. I can't. I'm too old for you, besides I don't really like you like that" N said gently. He must not want to hurt Bianca's feelings. Bianca stared at him before starting to sniffle. That sniffle then turned into sobbing which turned into wailing. She got up from her seat and ran out the door. N sat there in shock. "What just happened?"

"Bianca just ran out crying because you turned down her proposal" I chuckled. Sorry, Bianca I don't feel bad for you. Cheren and I told you not to love him or try to marry him.

"Wh-Wh-What should I do? I don't want her to hate me" N panicked.

"Don't worry. I'll tell you a secret. She does this with every guy she meets. Seriously, she wants to marry everyone she meets. They usually turn her down and she cries, but she'll get over it. Some accept her proposal and she tells her parents about it, but they tell her she's too young and to wait until she's older. During her wait, she either forgets about the boy or falls out of love with them" I said.

"Okay" N said uneasily.

"Come on, let's go see Lillipup" I said happily. I ran up the stairs and into the infirmary. Lillipup was on the floor gently prodding a ball with his paw. He saw me and instantly lit up like a Christmas tree. I was tackled to the ground and covered in slobbery kisses.

"Lillipup really likes you" N said.

"Really? Do you want to become part of my Pokémon team when I'm old enough then? We can get strong and battle. Maybe, we can even try to become the Champion" I asked the small dog. Lillipup barked.

"It said yes" N said. He frowned.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't' really like Pokémon battles" N said.

"Oh" I whispered.

"Don't worry though. That's my opinion. You do what you think is fun" N said.

"Right" I chirped, "but for now, Lillipup should stay here and rest. I'll visit every day."

"Sounds good" N said. I grabbed his hand and went downstairs. We sat on the couch and watched TV. My eyes grew heavy, and I couldn't keep them open. I let them drift shut. I felt N shift his position beside me. He wrapped his arm around me, and leaned my head on his side. It was resting on his ribs. He pulled me closer. His warmth making me more tired. Before I lost consciousness, I felt his lips kiss my head. N sighed in pure bliss before my world went black.

**A/N: Isn't N such a good person? He is letting a little girl that he barely knows sleep on him. Please review, flame, or ask questions.**


	4. Wrong On So Many Levels

N's POV

Touko is so cute and sweet. No wonder Lillipup wants to be her friend. I'm glad I'm her friend. I hope we can become best friends then more. Wait, what? More? Why did I think that? Did I maybe mean that I want to become best friends forever? Oh, whatever. I better take Touko back home before her mom begins to worry. I gently picked Touko up, doing my best not to wake her. I carried her all the way to her house. "Oh, Natural? Was Touko with you this whole time?" Mrs. White said.

"Only for a few hours. We were watching TV, and she fell asleep. She hasn't eaten anything, so when she wakes up she might be hungry" I said.

"Thank you" Mrs. White said, taking Touko from me.

"No problem" I said before slipping out the door. I walked back home and went upstairs. I poked my head into the Pokémon Infirmary and saw Lillipup sleeping. I smiled to myself and went to my bedroom. I wasn't that hungry, so I might as well just go to bed.

_In the morning…_

"N? Do you want to play with me and Cheren? Bianca is leaving town for a few days. She won't be here to play. So wanna play?" Touko asked me, batting her eyelashes. I sighed.

"Fine" I mumbled.

"Yay, we're playing house again. I'm the mommy. Lillipup's the puppy. Cheren's the daddy and you can be…the teenage son. Okay?" Touko announced.

"Whatever" I said. "Where are we playing it at?"

"We're going to just play in the woods. Cheren is waiting for us there" Touko said. I stood up from my spot on the ground with Lillipup. We started off towards the woods. I followed Touko as we dodged trees and bushes. We came to a large clearing. "This is where I found Lillipup" Touko stated. I scanned the area. Cheren was sitting under a tree with his eyes closed.

"Cheren! We're here" Touko shouted. Cheren's eyes shot open. He looked at me. Was he glaring at me? Touko ran up to him and wrapped her arms around one of his. She pulled him up off the ground. His face started to turn pink. He looked down at Touko with a kind gaze. Touko stared back at him with a smile on her face. My blood started to boil. Why did I feel so mad? I had to get rid of this feeling.

"Mom, can I have a car?" I said while walking up to Touko, beginning the game.

"I don't know. What do you think, honey?" Touko said while turning to Cheren. He crossed his arms. Touko still held onto him.

"No" Cheren said.

"Why not?" I whined.

"N, don't question your father. He knows what's best" Touko said, siding with Cheren. Touko stood on her tippy toes and pecked Cheren on the cheek. His eyes grew wide. His face turned a bright shade of red while Touko's had a light shade of pink. I clenched and unclenched my fists.

"Can N have a car now?" Touko asked Cheren with a smirk on her face.

"S-S-Sure" Cheren stuttered.

"There you got permission to get one. Now go run along and buy one" Touko said happily. I nodded my head and walked away gloomily. Why was I feeling like this? Am I jealous of Cheren? Yeah, I am. He's taking away my one and only friend. I sat down in front of a tree and pouted. The sun beating down on me felt nice. I felt my eyes drift shut, and I fell asleep.

"Is he dead?"

"No, I don't think so. He's breathing."

"Look he's moving."

"Maybe, he's coming to." I groaned as I sat up. I rubbed my head and opened my eyes. Cheren and Touko were crouching down in front of me.

"Oh no, I left my fate in the hands of eight year olds" I moaned. "What if I died and nobody knew what to do?"

"For your information, I'm nine years old" Cheren said offensively.

"Huh? Sorry. How long was I out for?" I asked.

"About three hours" Cheren said while looking at his watch.

"Really?" I asked in amazement.

"Are you feeling okay, N? Are you getting enough sleep at night? You're not staying up to play video games all night, are you?" Touko questioned with her hands on her hips. Her eyebrows furrowed in agitation. The look on her face was so adorable. I took a mental picture.

"No, I'm fine and I have been getting enough sleep. I guess the sun just felt so good today" I replied. I stood up and brushed the dirt and leaves off my pants. "We better get back to Nuvema Town. It's lunch time."

"Okay" Touko said. She started to walk away, Cheren holding her hand. I about died on the spot. I ran to catch up to her. I walked on her left side with Cheren on her right. She looked up at me and grabbed my hand. I smiled to myself. We reached Touko's house in a few minutes. Cheren let go of her hand and told her that he should go home. Touko let go of my hand and went inside. I was about to follow but I felt a tug on the back of my shirt. I turned around to see Cheren standing there with his eyes closed and arms crossed. He let out a sigh.

"Look, N. You don't have to be so protective of Touko or jealous of me. I know that you like her. I'm not going to steal her away from you. She likes you too much for me to make her forget about you" Cheren said.

"What are you taking about?" I said. For a nine year old, he sounded like he knew what he was talking about.

"I know you don't like me hanging out with Touko. But she is my friend too; you have to let me be with her once and a while. Okay? Well, see ya" Cheren said with a wave of his hand. Did I just get a talk from a nine year old? Did he say I liked Touko? What did he mean by that? Does he know about feelings that I don't even know about? Does he mean that I love Touko? That's impossible, right? I'm way too old for her. She's only eight. Does she even know what love is? Why am I asking myself so many questions anyway? My brain and heart hurt. I sighed and walked into Touko's house.

"Ah, there you are Natural. I was wondering when you were going to come in" Mrs. White said. "I made some sandwiches."

"They look good" I complimented. I sat down at the table and took a triangle from the plate. I took a bite and the flavors danced in my mouth. "This is delicious. What is it?"

"Ummm, peanut butter and jelly" Mrs. White said.

"I really like it" I said.

"You never had a PB&J before?" Touko questioned with her cheeks stuffed full. How can she get any cuter? Wait, why did I just think that? Touko's blue eyes shone with happiness, and her chestnut hair blew around from the fan overhead. She was really pretty. Why did I think that too? Oh man, Cheren has my mind really messed up.

"I-I-I need some air!" I shouted before standing up and running out the door. I didn't stop outside though, I kept running. I ran past my house and back into the woods. I ran all the way back to that tree that Touko found me at. I collapsed on the ground in front of it. I was so confused and didn't know what to do. I rested my back on the tree and just cried.

_The next day…_

My eyes fluttered open. Sun shone into my eyes making me squint. Where was I? Oh, that's right. I'm in the forest. Is it already the next day? Must be. I better get back home. I stood up and stretched. I drowsily walked back home. I entered the house and walked straight upstairs to the Pokémon Infirmary. I heard a giggling coming from inside the room. I glanced past the doorway and saw Touko playing fetch with Lillipup. The smile on Touko's face made my heart flutter. Maybe, I did love Touko. I know. I should observe her and my feelings for the whole day and see how I feel. Maybe then I can decide if I love her or not. "Hi, Touko" I said. She jumped at my voice.

"N?!" she squeaked. She turned around and looked at me.

"I didn't know you were here. I'm sorry for coming into your house without permission. I just really wanted to see Lillipup" Touko said shamefully.

"It's okay. Your welcome anytime, whether I'm here or not" I said.

"Really? Thank you!" she shouted. She jumped up and ran up to me. Touko wrapped me in a hug. The skin she touched burned. My stomach got butterflies. If that wasn't a sign that I loved her, I don't know what would be. I love Touko. What is wrong with me? Loving Touko is so wrong, but so right. I hugged her back. "I love you! I love you! I love you!" she chanted. I fainted.

"N? N?"

"Huh? What happened?" I asked. I sat up from my spot on the ground. Pain shot through the back of my head. I grabbed it and groaned.

"Are you okay?"

"No" I moaned. I looked up to see Cheren, Touko, and Mrs. White looking at me.

"I think you should go to the hospital" Mrs. White said.

"No, I'll be fine" I grunted. I hoisted myself up and a wave of nausea hit me. I grabbed my head again and groaned. I fell to the ground and landed on my butt.

"If you won't go to the hospital, then you need to get to bed. I think that you're dehydrated. See?" Mrs. White said. She pinched some skin on my hand, and it stood up, a sign of dehydration.

"Okay" I said. I crawled to my room and climbed into bed.

"Touko and I will make you some soup. Cheren can watch you" Mrs. White said. She grabbed Touko's hand and went downstairs. I heard cupboard doors open along with the fridge door. I looked at Cheren. He sat on a chair I had in the corner of the room.

"You were right" I mumbled.

"What?" he said.

"You were right" I said a little louder. I started to cough. My throat felt dry.

"About what?" Cheren asked.

"That I love Touko" I said. Cheren's eyes grew wide, and he practically fell out of his chair.

"What are you talking about?" he whisper-shouted.

"Yesterday, you said that you knew I loved Touko. You said that I should share her and not get jealous" I reminded him.

"That is not what I meant. I meant that you liked her, like a brother. You wanted to protect her and keep her safe. I didn't mean that you loved her" Cheren whispered to me harshly.

"Oh" I said.

"Arceus, N! It's only been a few days since you meet Touko. This is not good" Cheren mumbled running his hand through his hair. "You need to stop loving her. She is only eight years old, and how old are you again?"

"Nineteen."

"Exactly, it will never work out. Now, just try to ignore your feelings or something. I don't trust you. I don't know what type of person you are. You might kidnap her and use her for your own pleasure" the raven haired boy hissed.

"What are you talking about? I would never do that. Besides, how do you know all of this? You're only nine."

"Books and TV. I'm not a baby. I am way more educated than I should be. I am grade levels above my friends but that's not the point" he yelled at me.

"I don't know if I can forget about these feelings. They're just there."

"Just try" he pleaded. "I don't want you or Touko to get hurt in the end. I may not like you, but you are a decent guy."

"I'll try" I promised. Just as me and Cheren stopped talking, Mrs. White and Touko walked in the bedroom. Mrs. White carried a try with soup on it and Touko carried a glass of water. She could be my own little nurse. Stop it, N! Get a hold of yourself! Forget about Touko. She's just a little girl. This is going to be hard.

**A/N: Sorry if the story is going too fast. Have you seen the anime Itazura Na Kiss? That short series technically blows through years of the characters' lives in like a period of two episodes. Review.**


	5. No More Anything

**Ages: Touko- 12 and N- 23**

_Four Years Later…_

Touko's POV

"Wow, has it already been four years since you moved here?" I asked N.

"I guess" he said.

"Time sure flies when you're with friends, huh?" I asked N again.

"Yep" he groaned from his side of the bed. He turned over onto his side and wrapped an arm around me. My back was to him.

"N, what have I told you before?"

"Fine" he sighed out. He flipped over to his other side, removing his arm from me. I could feel his long hair tickling the back of my neck.

"Good. Don't touch me again, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. I just miss you wanting to be close after you had a bad dream" N mumbled sadly.

"N, the last time I ever let you wrap a protective arm around me was three years ago. I'm almost a teenager now. Pretty soon, my mom won't let me sleep over anymore. Well at least sleep in the same bed or room" I said seriously.

"I know. No more sleepovers with the opposite gender…unless it's Cheren. I don't understand why you can have a sleepover with him and not me" N grumbled. I turned over to face him, and he turned to face me. N was pouting.

"Sheesh, you're such a kid. Maybe, because you're like eleven years older than me" I said, rolling my eyes.

"Are age differences that big of a deal?" my green haired friend asked. What is up with him and this question? He started asking me this like four years ago. He asks it every chance he gets.

"N, stop asking me this question. It's getting annoying. My answer will never change. I don't know. It depends on the person or people dealing with age difference and their situation" I said annoyed.

"Okay."

"Why do you care so much?"

"No reason" he sighed. He always says that when I ask him why he cares. I can tell he's lying to me. Stupid N.

"Are we done talking? It's really early in the morning, and I want to go back to sleep" I complained. A yawn escaped from my mouth afterwards.

"Yeah, we're done" N chuckled.

"Night, N."

"Goodnight, Touko." I closed my eyes and lay there. N's breathing slowed down and a light snore escaped past his lips. He mumbled something in his sleep and rolled over. His arm went wrapped around me, and I tensed up under his hold.

"N? N?! Let go!" I whispered harshly. No response. I sighed. I'll have to ignore his arm like it's not there. When will N ever learn? I scooted closer to him to loosen the hold a little. I scooted too far, however, because my back hit his bare chest. Once he felt me come in contact with his body, he tightened his hold on me. He started to snuggle into my hair. I heard him take a deep breath and sigh. His warmth and sweet scent drifted around me. I felt myself get really drowsy. Oh N, when will you ever learn?

_In the morning…_

I tightly squeezed my eyes shut. The sun was coming in from the window and shining right on my face. I turned over to try to limit the amount hitting my face. It didn't work. I gave up and just let my eyes flutter open. I came face to face with N. His blue eyes bore into mine. The pupils of his eyes turned into saucers. He panicked once he realized I woke up and pulled his arm away from me. What was he doing?! Did he just decide to keep his arm around me until I woke up? I bet he didn't think I would wake up so soon. He was going to keep it there a little longer. Idiot. "What were you doing?" I asked angrily. N's close proximity, over the past few days, has been making me uncomfortable.

"N-N-Nothing" he stuttered out. He stood up and started to throw on a white t-shirt to go along with the gray sweatpants he was wearing. I sat up in the bed and punched him in the arm before he could get away.

"Ow" he yelped, rubbing the sore spot. "Look, I'm sorry. I just thought you looked really peaceful laying there. I didn't move my arm because I didn't want to wake you up." I raised an eyebrow. I didn't believe him.

"Right" I said unconvinced.

"It's true. I would never lie to you" he said sincerely, but he wouldn't hold my gaze. N just looked to the side.

"N, why do you keep lying to me? I hate it. I really do. You are honest with almost anything, yet you keep lying when I ask important questions" I cried out. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes.

"Please, don't cry" N said, wrapping me in a hug.

"Then answer me. Tell me the truth" I choked out.

"Fine. I didn't take my arm off of you because I like the way you feel. I like your warmth. I like to feel like I'm keeping you safe" N said, looking straight into my eyes the whole time. Now, that I believed.

"Why didn't you just say so the first time? We're friends. I wouldn't have gotten mad at you. I don't know anybody who doesn't like the warmth of someone else" I said gently with a small smile. N smiled too. "Now, can you promise me something?"

"Sure" N said.

"Promise me that you will never lie to me again" I said. N looked at the ground and ran his fingers through his long unruly hair. He must be debating on whether to agree or not. That really hurt. My heart ached knowing that he was considering lying to me. He looked up at me. Tears started to run down my face. He panicked and grabbed my face with his large hands. His thumbs wiped away my tears. This was our thing. We always did this when one of us cried.

"I promise" he said. He sounded like he didn't like his answer, but I didn't care. All I cared about was that he promised.

"Thank you" I whispered in his ear overjoyed. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pecked him on the nose with a kiss. He smiled and brought me into a hug. We released each other and headed downstairs for breakfast. I had chocolate chip pancakes, and N had pancakes covered in syrup. We each finished and got into the shower. I went in the one upstairs, and he took the one downstairs. I got dressed, gathered up my belongings, and left. I told my Pokémon that we would train today. N didn't like watching us train and battle, so he stayed at home. I mean he doesn't hate battling. He actually likes it. I just think he doesn't like the way I train. Two years ago, he decided to become a Pokémon Doctor. He studies at home and takes classes on the computer. I decided that I was going to become the Champion of Unova when I'm sixteen. For now, I decided to just train my Pokémon then battle the gyms and Unova League in a few years. I'll be unstoppable by the time I get to the gyms. My team will be so strong. My team consisted of Stoutland, Dewott, Volcarona, Tranquill, Klink, and Foongus. When I'm strong enough, I will catch the three main legendary members of the Swords of Justice, Kami Trio, Zekrom, Kyurem, and Reshiram.

"Hey, Touko." I turned around at the sound of my name.

"Hi, Cheren" I said.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Nothing, I was just about to train my Pokémon" I said. "Where's Bianca? It's strange to not see her with you. She's been following you around for a while."

"She's at home with the flu" Cheren said, shrugging his shoulders to show he didn't really care.

"Oh, I'll have to go visit her" I said.

"Nah, her parents won't let anyone near her. They don't want anyone else to get sick."

"Oh, so you did try to visit her. You do care. Cold heartless Cheren does have a heart" I teased. His face turned a light shade of pink.

"Shut up" he mumbled. Awww, I embarrassed him. Over the years, I decided that I didn't really like Cheren the way I thought I did. He's more of a brother to me.

"What's N doing? Has he been doing anything to you? Did he hurt you? Did he—" Cheren started.

"N didn't do anything. He's just being his old awkward shy self. I think he's studying right now. He's really ahead of his class. I give him about a year before he can become an official Pokémon Doctor."

"I see. Just watch your back" Cheren said softly before walking off.

"What's wrong with him?" I asked myself. "Oh, well. It's time to train."

_A few hours later…_

"Wow, I'm exhausted. What about you guys?" I asked my Pokémon. They all nodded. "How about we go get N to check up on you? It'll be go practice for him." They all made their respected sounds in agreement. "Let's go then." I returned all my Pokémon to their pokéballs and marched up to N's door. I rang the doorbell. N opened the door and looked down at me.

"Touko? What are you doing? You know you can come anytime you want" N said.

"I know. I just didn't know if you were studying or not. I didn't want to intrude and be a bother." N laughed.

"Touko, you will never be a bother to me" he said sweetly. He looked down at me. There was a look in his eye that I couldn't quite identify. It sent a shiver down my spine, a good shiver. "Come on in. I actually just finished studying" N said.

"Okay. I actually came here to see if you would look at my Pokémon. I figured that it would be good practice for you" I confessed.

"Okay. Come on upstairs then. I'll be glad to examine them." I followed N up to the Infirmary and released one Pokémon after the other. N examined each of them and told me they were in tip-top shape.

"That's great!" I cheered. "How about we go for a walk now? Neither of us are doing anything. What do you say?"

"Sounds relaxing" N breathed out.

"Let's go to Route 1" I suggested.

"Okay" N said. We left his house and started walking down the road. I held my hands behind my back. N and I walked side by side in silence. We made it to Route 1 in a few minutes flat. Up ahead, I saw a crowd of people gathered around an announcement board. People usually hang up flyers on them.

"I wonder what they're looking at. Let's check it out" I said excitedly. I grabbed N's right hand and started running towards the crowd. They must have heard us because they turned around to look at us. They cast us weird glances. I heard them whispering to themselves.

"It that him?"

"It has to be."

"It looks like him."

"Who's that girl?"

"Should we ask him?"

"No, you idiot!"

"Should we attack him then bring him in?"

"Excuse me. Excuse us" I said while pushing through the crowd. I dragged N behind me. I reached the board and scanned the flyers. All of the papers look old except for right in the middle. It had a picture of N on it. I looked up at N and pointed to the paper. N spotted it and read it out loud.

"Missing: Natural Harmonia Gropius, N Harmonia, King N. Ran away from home. Age: Twenty-Three. Height: 6 ft. or over. Reward for his capture and return: One hundred thousand dollars. Return the king alive or else" N read aloud. There was an address on the paper too. N's eyes grew wide and a snarl escaped past his lips. The grip he had on my hand tightened. I let out a yelp of pain, but N didn't notice. He closed his eyes and growled some more. His left fist clenched up. The next thing I knew, N punched the announcement board and it splinted and cracked under the blow. Wow, he's strong. His fist stayed on the board, blood poured from his knuckles.

"N! You're bleeding!" I screeched. I heard whispers break out behind us.

"It is him!"

"He looks angry. Maybe, we shouldn't bother him."

"He freakin' punched that board and cracked it."

"I don't care. Let's get him!"

"Wait, can we do that to a king?"

"N, we should get going" I said. These people were scaring me. N ignored me and let go of my hand. He ripped the flyer off the board. He crumpled the paper up and stuffed it in his pocket.

"My father lies. I didn't run away. He kicked me out. I will never go back to him" N growled. He grabbed my hand and led me away from all of the strange people. I looked over my shoulder. Everybody stared at us and watched us go. Nobody followed. I walked back with him in silence to my house. "Mrs. White, can I have a little help?" N asked while holding up his bloody hand.

"Oh my" my mom gasped. She ran up to N and inspected the wound. She grabbed a first aid kit and wet cloth. She cleaned the wound and wrapped it up with gauze.

"Thank you" N said.

"No, problem dear" my mom said. "Want to tell me what happened?"

"I don't really want to talk about it" N sighed. My mom nodded in understanding and put everything away. N took the crumpled paper out of his pocket. He went into the kitchen and dug through one of the drawers. He pulled out a lighter. He held the wad of paper in front of his face and held the small flame of the lighter under it. The paper caught fire, and N threw it in the sink. I watched the flyer burn from a distance. Poor N. He looks so sad.

"Don't worry, N. You don't need your dad's love. I will always love you" I said truthfully. N looked at me. There were tears running down his face. He fell to his knees and wrapped me in a tight hug. I couldn't help but hug back.

"I love you so much, Touko. More than you will ever know" N mumbled in my hair. My eyes began to water with happiness.

**A/N: Too bad Touko doesn't know what N meant. Review or flame.**


	6. Question Game

_One month later…_

N's POV

"Happy Birthday!" I shouted to Touko as she entered my house.

"Thanks N. You're the second person that has told me that" Touko said.

"It's not like I can just forget. It's your thirteenth birthday. You're finally a teenager" I said.

"You're right!" Touko squealed in realization.

"I got you a present" I said.

"Really? You didn't have to get me anything" Touko said.

"I know. I just couldn't resist. Here" I said. I handed Touko the package and sat down on the couch. Touko sat down beside me and tore the paper open. She took all the stuff out of the box. She held up a white tank top, ripped denim jean shorts, black and pink boots, a black vest, pink shoulder bag, black and pink wrist bands, and a white and pink hat.

"I-I don't know what to say" Touko stuttered. My heart sunk. Didn't she like the stuff?

"Just say if you like it or not" I suggested softly.

"I-I love it!" she yelled, hugging me. "I'm going to go try it on." Touko ran to the bathroom as fast as possible. I sat there speechless. What just happened? A few minutes later, Touko came out dressed in everything I got her. She also had her hair up in a fluffy ponytail like when she was younger. Touko looked stunning.

"How do I look?" Touko asked while twirling around.

"Gorgeous" I breathed out without thinking. Touko stopped spinning and stared at me.

"You think so" she said blushing. I could have melted right then and there under her intense gaze.

"Yeah" I said.

"N, thank you for the present. You just know me so well. You got me this stuff because you remembered that I didn't like girly stuff except for a little splash of pink" Touko stated. "I couldn't have a better friend." I was having hard time controlling myself. I just wanted to stand up and kiss her on the spot. One kiss would satisfy my needs. I gripped the side of the couch to hold myself down. "Thanks again for the present. I have to go. Bianca wanted me to meet her for lunch, her treat" Touko said before waving goodbye and leaving. I sighed once she left. I held my head in my hands. As I sat there, I heard the doorknob click. I looked up to see Cheren.

"Hello" I said.

"Hey" Cheren said. He walked up to an empty chair and sat down.

"What do you need?" I asked.

"I want to thank you for keeping your feelings to yourself. Touko is really happy right now. If you ever told her that you loved her, then she would probably get really confused. However, I wouldn't worry about her so much. Even if I don't like you that much, I still consider you my friend so I came here to tell you that I think Touko is starting to really like you. She may not know it yet, but I can tell" Cheren said calmly.

"So? It's not like it will ever work. We have too big of an age difference" I stated.

"N, haven't you ever heard of the saying: age doesn't matter" Cheren said.

"Yeah, but it matters to some people."

"Are you one of those people?"

"No. I mean, I used to be until I met Touko and actually feel in love with her. Then my thoughts changed. I really never expected me to be one of those people that fell in love with someone a lot younger."

"I see. Do you think Touko is one of those people?"

"I don't know."

"Ask her but wait a few years. Hopefully, she doesn't have a boyfriend by then. I doubt she will though. I think she's waiting for that special someone." Cheren winked at me.

"I don't think she feels that way" I said dejectedly.

"Think what you want" Cheren sighed before walking out the door. I sighed too. Maybe I should get someone else's opinion. I got up and walked out the door. I walked to Touko's house and raised my hand to knock on the door. I held my fist a few centimeters away from the wood. I'm starting to rethink this. I should just go home. I nodded and spun around. I heard the door behind me open.

"Natural?" Mrs. White said. I turned back around to face her.

"Uh, hi" I said nervously.

"What is it dear?" the older woman asked.

"Ummm, can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure. Come in. Come in" Mrs. White said, ushering me in the door. We both sat down at the table. We were seated directly across from one another. "Now, what is it that you wanted to talk about?"

"It's kind of uncomfortable and embarrassing" I said sheepishly. I started to rub the back of my neck out of habit.

"It can't be that bad" Mrs. White said, trying to lighten the mood. I could feel a dark atmosphere forming around me.

"Please don't be mad at me" I whispered quietly.

"Mad at you? Why would I be mad at you?" Mrs. White questioned.

"I may have fallen in love with someone" I said, not daring to look Mrs. White in the eye.

"Why would that make me mad? Isn't falling in love with someone a good thing?"

"I guess."

"Then what's so bad about you having these feelings?"

"I guess the bad thing about it is who I fell in love with" I declared.

"Who is it? I bet it's a nice girl" Mrs. White said.

"Yeah, real nice" I agreed.

"Is it someone I know?" Mrs. White asked.

"Yeah, you know her pretty well."

"Well, are you gonna tell me who it is?" Mrs. White said. She sounded like she was getting excited.

"It's…Touko" I squeaked out. Out of all the times my voice could have gotten high, why did it pick to get high now? I risked a glance at Mrs. White. She had a blank expression on her face.

"Touko?" Mrs. White said indifferently. "My Touko?"

"Touko" I repeated.

"You love Touko, my daughter the thirteen year old?"

"Yes" my voice squeaked again.

"That's so sweet!" Mrs. White squealed.

"Wait, what?"

"I think that is so cute."

"You're not mad at me?"

"Darling, why would I be mad? Nobody can control who they fall in love with. Besides, even though Touko is still pretty young, she is the only girl that you spend your time with besides Bianca. Developing feelings for her was bound to happen."

"You're okay with me feeling this way? I mean, you approve of the age difference?"

"Of course." I let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you. I don't know what I would have done if you didn't approve."

"You would have probably followed your heart whether I approved or not. I don't know if my daughter feels the same way or not, but I can't stop her from what doing what she wants either. She is too independent. If I told her to stay away from you, she would probably stick by your side even more than usual" Mrs. White explained. "Please, take care of Touko."

"I will. Whether she loves me or not, I will protect her and make her happy. I don't think I'll love anybody else" I promised.

"I know you will" Mrs. White said softly. "Oh and remember that now you can't stay in the same bed at sleepovers. Especially now that I know you love my daughter. I don't care how nice and trusting you are. You are still a grown man with needs." I blushed at the comment.

"I figured. I gotta go. See you tomorrow."

"Bye, Natural." I walked out the door with a huge grin on my face. At least if Touko and I did get into a relationship, her mom approves. I marched back to my house and went inside. I glanced at a clock. It's been two and a half hours since Touko left. Is that how long it took me and Cheren plus Mrs. White to talk? It didn't seem that long. Touko should be back soon. Maybe, I can question Touko inconspicuously about her feelings.

_One hour later..._

"N? I'm back" Touko's voice called. I looked up from my medical book and glanced at Touko.

"Touko! I'm glad you're here. I wanted to play a game with you" I said while slamming my textbook closed. Touko jumped at the sudden noise. "Sorry. I want to play the question game. You wanna play?"

"Uh, sure" Touko responded. "How do you play?"

"Well, I ask you any question I want and you have to answer truthfully. Then you ask me any question you want and I answer back truthfully too. The process repeats until we want to stop."

"Sounds fun."

"I'll go first. Do you like my hair?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"Nope. I ask the question first and you answer. You can't ask another question" I said while wagging my finger at her. She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I like it. It's soft and goes really good with your outfit and personality. Now, my turn. Is that your natural hair color?" she asked while eyeing my hair suspiciously. I grabbed my hair in offense.

"Of course it is" I said in mock offense. "Have you ever been kissed before?" Touko opened her mouth to answer then closed it again. She started to tap a finger on her chin in thought.

"No. Not on the lips. How about you?"

"Yeah. When I was a teenager, about fifteen, I was mobbed by fan girls all the time. I think that they liked how I was a king. One actually caught me and kissed me. I sent her to the dungeon." Touko's mouth hung open.

"Are you serious?"

"No. I was just kidding."

"Okay, ummmm. Do—" Touko started.

"No, it's my turn. You already asked your question" I said with a smirk on my face.

"That didn't count!"

"Yes it did. Anyway, do you like Cheren?"

"Yeah, he's like my brother" Touko confessed. I stopped myself from grinning uncontrollably. I kept a calm and collective face on.

"Are you okay with me wanting to become Champion?" Touko asked me with a frown.

"Yes. I really don't mind Pokémon battles that much. I want you to follow your dream and be happy. I love your determination" I answered truthfully. "Do you like older guys?"

"Huh? I don't know. I guess I like them a little." I did a happy dance in my mind. "Do you like older girls?"

"Nah, I prefer younger ones" I said shyly. "Why? Do you like me?"

"How can I not? There are so many likable things about you. I like how sweet and innocent you are. You always know what to say to make people feel better. You're so kind to Pokémon. You can put a smile on my face, and you're pretty handsome if I do say so myself." Touko's face turned a bright red as she shyly looked at the ground. "Do I look pretty?"

"You look beautiful, not pretty. Everyday" I muttered. I started to twiddle my thumbs. There was an uncomfortable silence after that. Ten minutes probably passed by the time I cracked. "Want to stop playing the game?"

"Yeah. How about we watch TV?" Touko suggested.

"Okay." We both sat down on the cushions. I awkwardly kept shifting around. I just couldn't find a comfortable position. I think it was because Touko was so close. I scooted to the side and away from Touko. I never felt this uncomfortable with her before. Did I ruin my friendship with her? How can I continue being friends with her if I can't even sit near her? I am such and idiot. Touko glimpsed at me from the corner of her eye. I panicked.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I just can't find a comfortable position" I said truthfully. I promised I would always tell the truth, so I did.

"Why are you sitting so far away? I don't have cooties" Touko joked. I didn't move. Touko giggled and moved closer to me. Our arms brushed against each other, a tingling feeling numbed the area. Touko gave me a suspicious look. She reached for my hand. Her fingers touched the back of my hand. Jolts of electricity burned the area. I pulled my hand away from her and yelped in shock. "What?"

"You-You s-shocked me" I accused.

"I didn't feel anything."

"Well, I did."

"Whatever. Stop being such a baby" Touko grumbled. She leaned her head on my arm. This would be a long day.

**A/N: N just made things uncomfortable for himself. *sigh* Review, please.**


	7. Winners

**Ages: Touko- 16 and N-27**

_Four years later…_

Touko's POV

"Hey, N" I greeted the green haired man.

"Hi, Touko" he greeted back.

"What are you doing?" I asked sweetly.

"Nothing, why?" he asked me. Is he really asking me this? Isn't he going to say anything to me? What a jerk! We haven't seen each other for months on end. I come back and surprise him with a visit and all he can is say hi. I looked down at the ground in disappointment. I missed him like crazy. Didn't he miss me?

"Why? Why? Is that all you have to say is why?" I said darkly in a low tone. Tears threatened to pour from my eyes.

"What did I do?" he asked.

"Forget it. I'm going home" I said sadly. I turned around and started for the door.

"Home?"

"Home" I repeated angrily. I grabbed the doorknob.

"Home!" N shouted in realization. I turned the handle and yanked the door open. I took a step out the door, my head still hanging low. Before I could take another step, I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist from behind. N pulled me back away from the door and kicked it shut with his foot. "Touko, you're back" N mumbled against my hair. His neck bent downwards at a sharp angle to rest on my head. He was over half a foot taller than me. I sighed in happiness and placed my hands over his, which rested on my stomach. "I'm so glad you're back. I missed you. I felt so lost without you."

"I missed you too" I breathed out.

"How did your journey go? You must have done really well if you're back so soon" N asked. He was still holding on to me, not showing any sign of letting go any time soon. The thought made my heart flutter. Stupid N, why does he always make me feel this way? Always?

"I beat all the gyms" I said proudly.

"Good. Did you challenge the Elite Four?" N asked. He started to take a few steps backwards, his fingers interlocked on my stomach. I had no choice but to walk backwards with him.

"Yep and I beat them" I replied. I felt N hit something before falling backwards. I fell with him. I landed on top of him with a thud. N groaned at the sudden weight. I looked down to see that he was on the couch, and I was on his lap. A smile etched across his face as he opened his eyes to look at me.

"Did you face the Champion?" N asked.

"Sure did" I said.

"Well, what happened? Did you win? Lose?"

"I'm not telling."

"Really? Maybe I can convince you" N said mischievously. A wicked grin slowly mad its way on to his face. I looked him dead in the eye. I could see something there that I hoped wouldn't show.

"N, don't you dare" I warned.

"Too late!" N started to tickle my sides. I tried to escape but his arms were still wrapped around me.

"S-Stop…please…stop" I laughed.

"Not until you tell me what happened" N said.

"No…no…fine…you're…looking…at …the new…Champion" I managed to get out between giggles. N immediately stopped tickling me and held me away from him. He faced me towards him, so he could look me in the eyes.

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah" I said. "You're the first person I told." I smiled happily. When I became Champion, I felt overjoyed but never really showed it. But being here in N's arms, must have triggered something. I started to smile uncontrollably as I let reality come crashing down on me. I wrapped my arms around N's neck and pressed my forehead to his. I let out a loud squeal right in N's face. "Can you believe it?! I beat all the gym leaders and Elite Four members with ease. The Champion was tough to beat but not difficult. My six years of training really paid off." My emotions got the best of me, and I started acting without thinking. I cupped N's cheeks with my hands and kissed him on the lips. Sparks flew instantly. I realized what I was doing and opened my eyes. N's eyes were filled with shock and…joy? I let go of his face and broke the kiss. "Oh my gosh! I am so sorry N. I just got caught up in all the excitement and acted without thinking." N's mouth was slightly hanging open, but he nodded in understanding. "So much for my first kiss" I mumbled to myself.

"F-First kiss?" N stuttered out.

"Yeah. Looks like you're my first kiss now, N."

"Sorry" he muttered.

"Don't be. I was the one that kissed you remember" I reminded him. He looked at me and gave off a weak smile. I grabbed his hand and pulled him off the couch. The contact of skin made my hand tingle. Why did N make my body react this way? When did it even start? Now that I think about it, I think it all started before I left on my journey. I mentally cleared my thoughts. "How about we take a walk and catch up? I want to know what everyone's been up to."

"Okay" N said. We walked to the door together and went outside, our hands still linked together.

"Did you catch any new Pokémon?" N asked me. I smirked. Wait till he hears this.

"Yeah, all the ones I wanted."

"Which ones were those again?"

"Ummm…all of the legendary Pokémon of Unova. Except for two. I couldn't get Landorus or Tornadus."

"No way" N gasped.

"Way. They're all at the lab" I said. I bubbled with laughter.

"Touko, you never cease to amaze me." I blushed.

"I got you a present, N."

"You did? You didn't have to get me anything" N stated.

"Let's just say it is a thank you present for getting me this outfit" I said while gesturing to my clothes. They were the same clothes that N got me on my thirteenth birthday. They weren't the exact same. These ones were bigger, but the outfit N gave me became my signature look. "Here." I unclipped the small object off my belt and thrust it into N's face. We stopped walking as N grabbed the marble sized pokéball. It grew to full size at his touch.

"You go me a Pokémon?" N said.

"Open it up and see for yourself" I advised. N inspected the sphere before throwing it into the air. A red beam emitted from the ball and formed a large shape. A white dragon appeared.

"You got me Reshiram" N said in awe. He scanned the dragon from head to toe.

"Sort of. You see, I already caught Zekrom by the time I meet Reshiram. I wanted Reshiram, but it didn't want me. It only let me capture it because it sensed that I knew someone who it would want to have as its trainer, at least I think. Somehow, I knew in my heart that it wanted to be with you. Besides, there are supposed two heroes who get Reshiram and Zekrom, right? I think I remember that in a story somewhere" I explained.

"Thank you, I feel honored" N said, wrapping me in a tight hug. "Thank you too, Reshiram." The white dragon roared in response. N returned it to its pokéball. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me" N whispered in my ear. My face started to burn up. I pushed N away from me and started to let out a nervous chuckle.

"What are you saying? I'm not that great" I said. "Anyway, let's stop talking about me. How has everyone been?"

"Well, Bianca started to work with Professor Juniper as her assistant. She's learned a lot since you left. I swear that every time she sees me, she tells me a fact about Pokémon or the Unova region. She is like a walking pokédex."

"She gets excited over the littlest things. Do you know what she's doing now?"

"I think she's conducting research at the moment" N supposed.

"What's Cheren up to?"

"Oh, he's studying to become a teacher at this one school. I can't quite remember the name of it. If he gets the position, then he also gets to become that city's gym leader. For days, he's been training his Pokémon. I think he said that the gym specializes in normal types. He's been working really hard."

"Cool. I wish that I would have waited longer to go on my journey then. I could have battled Cheren for a badge then. Having the chance to be a gym leader is such a rare opportunity. I hope Cheren gets the job. I know that he's great with Pokémon and has always wanted to be a strong trainer" I praised.

"You should battle him sometime. He doesn't have much faith in himself. He doubts that he'll be a good gym leader. He either needs a friend's support or a win" N sighed. "I tried talking to him, but he won't listen. He needs someone closer to him, possibly you. Bianca hasn't had any free time on her hands in a while. She hasn't been able to talk to him."

"Poor Cheren. I think a battle sounds like a great idea" I cheered, pumping a fist in the air.

"Now, you just need to rub some of that spirit off on Cheren" N chuckled.

"How's Mom holding up? I bet she feels lonely, huh?" I said shamefully.

"She's managing. I visit her every time I can spare a moment. She really misses you. When we're done, you should visit her right away."

"That's a great idea. I can't wait to see her. Now, how have you been N? Be honest with me." N's shoulders slouched and his grip on my hand tightened. His breath quickened in an instant.

"Are you okay?" I asked worriedly. N turned to look at me, tears starting to stream down his cheeks. "N?"

"To be honest, I was a wreck" N laughed dryly. "I couldn't fall asleep at night. I was so worried about you. I couldn't help but think something happened to you. Whenever I was working, I failed to concentrate. Pokémon didn't want to be near me for a while. I think they could sense the dark atmosphere I was giving off. I was so lost without you." He kept his promise and told the truth.

"Oh, N. I'm so sorry I made you worry so much. I didn't know leaving would hurt you that much. I should have stayed here in Nuvema Town" I cried. I brought N into a hug. I never wanted to let go. Guilt filled my heart.

"It's okay. I wanted you to go follow your dream. I wouldn't dream of keeping you here. You are free to do whatever you want. I don't want to be the one to get in your way" N said. He's only saying that so I don't feel bad.

"Have you healed a lot of Pokémon while I was gone?" I asked N as I wiped his tears away.

"Not really. I only take care of wild injured or abandoned ones. There haven't been many of those these days. It actually makes me glad. I feel like people and Pokémon are getting along better."

"Do you have an assistant? I saw a small nurse's cap on your kitchen table" I asked with agitation in my voice. I admit that I am a little jealous. Why am I jealous exactly? Do I possibly have feelings for N? No, I can't. Stop lying to yourself! You do like N, just admit it.

"If you consider an Audino an assistant" N said bashfully.

"An Audino?"

"Yeah, I caught her a few days after you left. I thought she would be helpful. I mean Nurse Joy have Audino, don't they?" I felt relief wash over me.

"They do" I said. "Let's go see mom now. I can't wait to tell her about my journey and everything I did." I wrapped my arms around N's torso; he draped an arm on my shoulders. Butterfree invaded my stomach. We began heading towards my house. At that moment I realized that I loved N. I really love him. How did I survive without him?

**A/N: There is a lot of hugging in this chapter. Review.**


	8. Age Differences

N's POV

Touko is back. Touko's finally back after all these months. I thought that I was the happiest I could ever be when Touko came back home, but I was wrong. Touko proved me wrong whenever she kissed me today. I was happier than I have ever been in my life when she kissed me. I still can't believe it. Touko, the girl I love, kissed me. It may not have been out of love but it was still a kiss from Touko. The moment her lips touched mine, I fell in love with her even more if possible. My life is just so great right now. This is the perfect time to ask her how she feels about age differences again. Maybe, she'll be okay with them. If so, then I can confess my love. If not, then I'll just have to keep my love to myself and just protect her. "I hope she loves me back" I sighed out.

"Hey N, who are you talking to?" I looked up to see Cheren standing in my doorway. Man, I really should start locking the door. Anybody could come in here, even my…no I can't think like that.

"No one" I said.

"Are you okay? You look happy but not happy at the same time" Cheren said. I sighed.

"Do you remember what you told me four years ago?" I asked the raven haired boy.

"Not at this moment" Cheren said.

"You told me to ask Touko her opinion on how she feels about age differences, but you also said to wait a few years before asking her" I reminded him.

"Oh yeah. Wait, why are you bringing this up now? You're not gonna….no" Cheren declared sternly. He balled up his fists.

"I am. It might not be today, but it _will_ be today or tomorrow. You can't stop me, Cheren. You said to wait a few years, and four years have passed by. I'm not getting any younger. I just can't hide my feelings anymore. It gets harder and harder each day. I don't care if Touko hates me or not afterwards. She needs to know the truth" I announced loudly.

"Are you sure this is the right time? Are you prepared for what she says?"

"Yes. Her being gone for months on end then coming back is the perfect time to tell her. I just hope that once I tell her, we can still be friends no matter what happens."

"If you're sure. I'll support you all the way, just don't hurt her or I won't hesitate to come after you."

"I wouldn't want anything else. Besides, I think that I have Mrs. White's support too. Knowing that I have you two on my side, there's no way I'll chicken out."

"Good luck. I'm rooting for you."

"Thanks."

"I have to go train. See you later."

"Bye" I called out to the retreating figure. I ran a hand through my thick locks of hair. "What have I gotten myself into?" I fell back against my couch. My head hit the hard top of the back of the couch. I winced but the pain was bearable. It actually felt nice. My thoughts grew clouded, and it allowed me to stop and think for a moment. I was able to relax, no stress or worries. My eyelids started to grow heavy. I let them drift shut before falling into a deep sleep.

_Later that day…_

I awoke with a start. There was a loud knocking at my door. I sat up and groaned. Pain shot through the back of my head. I let of cry of pain before bringing my hands to feel the sore spot. My fingers parted my hair and searched my scalp for anything out of the ordinary. I felt a bump. I lightly added pressure. More pain shot through my head. I started to circle the bump with my fingertips to see how large it was. My pointer finger was met with a hard sticky substance. I quickly drew my hand away from my head and examined my fingers. Crimson blood coated a finger or two. It was cold and beginning to turn crusty. The wound was old. The memory of hitting my head came back to me. More knocking came from the door but grew louder as each second passed. "Coming" I yelled. I ran into the kitchen and grabbed a paper towel. I dabbed the head wound as I ran to the door. I tossed the blood covered towel into a nearby trashbin. I yanked the door open to reveal my visitor.

"Sheesh N. I've been knocking on your door for half an hour. I was starting to get worried. Why did you lock the door? You could have been on the floor dying, and I wouldn't have been able to get to you. What were you doing? I almost went to go get Professor Juniper to knock down the door" Touko said angrily but concerned. Her hands were on her hips, and she was impatiently tapping her foot.

"I was sleeping. And I don't remember locking the door?" I defended.

"Maybe, there's someone in your house. They might have come in and locked the door behind them. I have a pretty good idea who it might be" she growled. She stormed past me and started searching every room of the house.

"What are you doing? Nobody is in my—" I started to protest. Touko cut me off by putting a finger to my lips.

"Do you hear that?" she whispered. I closed my eyes and tried to focus on my surrounding sounds. Everything was dead silent to me.

"I don't hear anything."

"But I do. Your hearing must be going bad."

"My hearing is perfectly fine" I growled.

"Whatever. Just follow me" Touko commanded. She started to tip-toe up the stairs. I followed close behind. We stopped at the top of the steps. I heard a shower running with someone whistling a tune. "No one's in your house, huh? I didn't know that you got a girlfriend" Touko joked, but she sounded a little sad too.

"I don't. I had no idea someone was here" I said truthfully. Touko is the one and only girl for me.

"Then I have a pretty good idea who it is. Stay here and be quiet." I nodded my head. Touko pressed her back to the wall and started to inch towards the closed bathroom door. She grabbed the handle and slowly turned it. What is she doing?! "Boo!" Touko shouted, swinging the bathroom door open and jumping into the room. I heard a scream emit from the room. Touko's laughter echoed throughout the house. What was going on in there? I can't see a thing. I heard the water being turned off. Touko walked back into the hallway. She had her arms wrapped around her stomach as she laughed her head off. Her laughter was music to my ears. A shaking Bianca followed behind her.

"Bianca? What are you doing in my house?" I questioned the frightened girl.

"Ummm…it's a funny story. I was doing research with Professor Juniper you see? I accidently tripped and broke something in the lab, and she got really mad. She slowly started to step towards me. She said that she would make me pay. I got scared and ran out of the building. She was hot on my trail, but I lost her and came to your house. I saw you sleeping on the couch and didn't want to disturb you. I locked the door and ran up to the bathroom to hide. I turned on the water to make it seem like I was someone taking a shower, so no one would come in. Touko came in, however, and scared the living daylights out of me" Bianca explained quickly. By the time she was finished with her long winded explanation, she was panting for oxygen.

"How did you know it was Bianca? What if was actually some stranger taking a shower in my bathroom?" I asked Touko.

"Well for one thing, I would recognize Bianca's whistling anywhere. Another thing is that, on my way here, I ran into Professor Juniper. She said that she was hunting, I mean _looking for_, Bianca and asked if I saw her. I told her no. She told me the only places left to look were at my house and here. I told her that I was already heading here, so I'd look" Touko said. That made sense. "I found you now" Touko said evilly. She grabbed Bianca by the arms and towed her down the stairs. "I'll be back after I deliver Professor Juniper this present." With that, Touko took away a fighting Bianca and left. I was very confused. I sat on the couch and waited for Touko's return. Now is as good as time as any to tell her my feelings. I heard a scream come from outside as I waited. It was probably Bianca. I heard my doorknob click as it turned. Touko came back into the house, brushing her hands together.

"That takes care of that" Touko stated happily.

"So what did you need?" I asked the brunette.

"Huh? I didn't need anything."

"Then why did you come here?"

"How rude? I came here to see you. Is that so bad?" Touko pouted, pretending to be hurt by my words.

"I'm sorry. Come here" I said, patting the spot next to me on the couch. She walked over and sat next to me. "How about we play the question game?"

"Okay" she said. "Me first. While I was away, did you go on any dates?"

"Nope. Okay, did you go on any dates while you were out travelling?"

"One. It was with this really awesome guy. I don't remember his name, but we went to the Nimbasa City Amusement Park. It was fun and all, but he turned out to be a real weirdo. Did you travel anywhere when I was gone, maybe to a nearby town at least?"

"No. I decided that if I went somewhere, then I would want to go with you" I said sheepishly. Now to be serious. "Do you think age differences are a big deal?"

"N, we talked about this. I thought you were finally done asking that question."

"Just answer it" I pleaded, grabbing her small hands. I rubbed the back of her hands with my thumbs. "I want your honest opinion." Touko sighed.

"Fine. I don't think age differences are that bad. They might be if it is dealing with health or something along the lines, but if it has something to do with love or happiness, I think that's all that matters. People should just follow their heart. Why do you care so much anyway?" Touko asked. She asked the one question I didn't want her to ask. Why did she always ask that?

"Because…because…I-I…want…to be with you" I confessed. My voice wavered from nervousness. "I want to be with you" I said more clearly and confidently. "I love you, and I don't want our age to get in the way. I just want to be with you. I've loved you for eight years. I know I shouldn't have loved an eight year old, but I did." Touko had a blank expression on her face. She slowly removed her hands from mine and folded them in her lap. I started to sweat. Oh no, I ruined our friendship. I should have kept quiet. Idiot! "Please, don't let this ruin our friendship. If you don't feel the same way or want to be with me, that's fine. Just forget about what I said. Let's pretend it never happened."

"N?" Touko said distantly. I looked at her. Her face showed no emotion. She just stared straight ahead.

"Yes?" I squeaked. Touko's head started to rotate back towards me. She lifted her gaze up and looked me dead in the eye. The next thing I knew, she pounced on me. Her legs wrapped around my waist, and her arms wrapped around my neck as I fell backwards onto the couch. She lay on top of me. She nuzzled her face in the crook of my neck.

"I love you too" she squealed. I smiled in relief and hugged her. Touko pulled away from me and stared into my eyes and soul. I placed one hand on her lower back and the other behind her head. I lifted my head upwards and pulled her into a kiss. She was surprised but relaxed into it. I sat back up and held her tight. Our lips molded together as we turned our kiss into a make-out session. Years of bundled up love and need poured out of me. I never wanted this moment to end. Touko's hands started to tangle in my hair as she tried to pull me closer and deepen the kiss. Her fingers pressed against my bump. My face scrunched up in pain and discomfort, but Touko didn't seem to notice as we continued to kiss. Her hands moved up to the top of my head more. One hand covered my bump and added too much pressure for my liking as Touko continued to try to pull me close. I let out a hiss of pain and ended our kissing. I brought a hand up to feel the back of my head.

"N? Are you okay? Did I do something wrong?" Touko asked worriedly. I looked up at her and gave her a weak smile.

"I'm fine. You didn't do anything wrong" I reassured her. I moved my hand a little and let out another hiss of pain as I bumped the goose egg.

"What's wrong?"

"I just bumped my head earlier. I'll be fine. It's just a little sore still." I removed my hand from my head and started to move it towards Touko's face to cup her cheek. I was still drunk on love and wanted more. Halfway there, Touko caught my wrist in her hand. She flipped my hand over to inspect it. Blood was smeared in different places. Touko gasped. She grabbed the sides of my face and jerked my head forward and down. She parted my hair and inspected the area I hit.

"Go take a shower" Touko demanded, climbing off me.

"Why?" I whined.

"Your hair is matted with blood and that gash needs cleaned or it will get infected."

"Is it that bad?"

"No, there is no need to go to a hospital. You just need a shower and some ice. I'm sure the bleeding with stop soon."

"Wanna come with?" I asked, wiggling my eyebrows suggestively as I stood up.

"No" Touko said bluntly.

"I was just kidding, and I really did miss you" I said seriously. Touko smiled sweetly at me. She stood on her tippy toes and leaned up. I leaned down to meet her. She gave me a small peck on the cheek then lips.

"I know. I'm so glad I came back today" she cooed. "Now go get a shower, or I'll tell my mom that you asked me to join you." I panicked and bolted up the stairs. I quickly got undressed and hopped under the running water. I washed my hair and got out. I walked into the bedroom and put on a pair of navy blue sweatpants and a white t-shirt. It was getting late anyway, so I would be going to bed soon. After I eat of course. I walked downstairs. Touko was cooking some chicken. I snuck up behind her and covered her eyes with my hands.

"Guess who?" I asked.

"Natural" she guessed.

"Yes. You're just too good at this game."

"I know and dinner's ready by the way. Let's eat." We both sat down and ate. I couldn't keep my eyes off of Touko. She was mine and only mine now. Touko let out a yawn. Her head kept drooping as she ate.

"You should head home and go to sleep."

"No" she mumbled drowsily. "I wanna stay here tonight, with you." Her head almost hit the table. She was in a half sleep state, no scratch that, over half.

"Okay, but you have to sleep in the guest room" I reminded her.

"No" she mumbled again. She stood up from her chair and walked towards me. She pulled out my chair a little and plopped down on my lap. She gave me a sloppy kiss. I gently shoved her away.

"Yes" I said sternly.

"But I want to be with my boyfriend" Touko said like a groggy child. I couldn't help but grin at the word 'boyfriend.'

"What if your mom finds out?"

"She won't." I sighed. I was too tired to argue right now. I picked Touko up bridal style and carried her to my bedroom. I laid her down on the bed. I took of her hat, vest, and boots. Her hands gripped the sheets tightly, and she took in a deep breath. "They smell like you." I chuckled and stared at my girlfriend. Touko's body heaved with one last deep breath before her breathing evened out. I leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. I covered her with the blankets and crawled in beside her on the other side. I wrapped my arms around her and held her close.

"Goodnight, my love" I whispered in her ear before letting myself be engulfed in darkness.

**A/N: I just noticed that I have a lot of Cheren and N bonding moments. Weird. Anyhow, review or comment.**


	9. Waffles and Gravy

Touko's POV

I shifted my position on the bed, my muscles aching in need of a stretch. I climbed out of bed and raised my arms above my head. The tired muscles felt relief after being moved. I rubbed my eyes and blinked a couple of times to clear my blurry vision. I took in my surroundings. I was in N's room. I turned around to see N lightly snoring away. He looked so relaxed and content. I looked around the room and found my discarded items on the floor. I quietly walked up to them and picked them up. The floor creaked, and I heard the bed creak. I froze in place. My head slowly turned to look at N. He was sitting up. "Morning" he mumbled then yawned.

"Good morning" I said back.

"Have you been up long?"

"No, I actually got up a minute ago. I was just gathering my stuff up. I was going to go downstairs and make breakfast."

"You don't have to. I can make it if you want" N offered. He stood up and scrambled to his feet. He stumbled, but caught himself on the bed. He raised a hand to hold his head.

"No, N. I want you to take things easy today. You probably just had a dizzy spell, right?" I said sternly. N didn't say anything. "I bet you have a headache too." He just stared at the ground. "Exactly. I'm going to go make breakfast. Stay in bed. I don't want you doing anything major today. I'll be back in a few minutes." I went across the hall and threw my stuff in the guest room then went downstairs. I'd put everything on later. I went into the kitchen to get everything I needed ready. I never asked N what he wanted to eat, so I guess I'll just surprise him. I started preparing the food. In a matter of ten minutes, I finished cooking and placed mine and N's breakfast on a tray. I went back upstairs to serve him his meal. When I entered the bedroom, I saw N reaching for the back of his head. "Don't even think about it!" I snarled. N's hand quickly flew back down to his lap.

"Touko! I didn't see you come in" N said nervously. "So, what's for breakfast?"

"We're having waffles with gravy" I stated happily.

"Yummy" N said. I removed my plate from the tray and set it on a nightstand next to the bed. I handed N the whole tray. I took a seat next to N, grabbed my plate, and started to eat. "Mmmm, this is really good."

"Thanks, even though this is just instant gravy and frozen waffles."

"Well you didn't burn any of it, so it's good." N and I finished eating in silence. I took the dishes and washed them off downstairs. "Touko?" I heard N whine. Why did I fall in love with him again?

"Yes?" I called up to him.

"What?" he called back. I huffed in annoyance. I marched up the steps and into his room. "Can I take a shower?" I face-palmed.

"Of course, you idiot" I hissed. "I said not to do anything major, especially work. You can, however, do typical everyday things."

"You really shouldn't call your boyfriend an idiot. It's not very nice" N said, making a tsking noise. I blushed but balled up my fists.

"Why you little—" I growled, raising my arms up. I was ready to strangle N.

"Don't do anything you'll regret. You want me to get better, don't you? When I do, we can have some more fun like yesterday." I blushed even more.

"Just get your shower. I'm going home to tell my mom I'm okay. I'll take a shower over there too. I'll be back in a little bit. Oh and before I go, should I tell my mom about us or wait until you're with me?"

"You can tell her. I think I already know how she'll react."

"Okay."

"Hurry back. Love you." N yelled.

"Yeah. Yeah. Love you too" I said over my shoulder. I gathered my things back up from the guest room and headed home.

"Mom, I'm back" I called out as I opened the front door.

"Touko, where have you been? I was worried sick" my mom said, rushing down the stairs towards me.

"Sorry. I was at N's and I lost track of time. By the time I realized how late it was, I was already halfway asleep. I decided to just stay the night" I explained.

"You could have at least called" Mom said.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you worry," I apologized. "I'll try to remember next time."

"You better."

"Well, I'm going to go get a shower and get changed."

"Okay, dear."

"Oh, I almost forgot. I have to tell you something."

"What is it, dear?"

"Ummm, how should I put this? N and I are dating."

"What? Since when?" Mom asked in shock.

"Since last night. He confessed his love to me, and I told him I felt the same way" I said embarrassed.

"How wonderful! I'm so happy for you two! Congratulations!" my mother praised.

"You're okay with it?" I asked dumfounded.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be? I've known that N has loved you for years. Besides, all I want is for you to be happy."

"You knew that he loved me?"

"Why yes. He told me about four years ago. I think it was on your thirteenth birthday. I never really noticed his feelings until after he told me. But after I did, I saw the way his eyes sparkled when you walked in the room or the way he smiled when you laughed. I couldn't help but think 'my daughter is one lucky girl.' I don't know what he would do without you."

"Really? He did all those things?"

"Uh-huh. You're his whole world."

"His whole world" I repeated.

"Weren't you headed to the shower?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Thanks. When I'm done, I'm going to go back to N's. He hit his head and hasn't been feeling well. I was going to take care of him for the day. If you need anything, just call" I said before rushing upstairs. I took a shower and got changed. I headed to N's house immediately once I was finished.

"N? You done in the shower yet?"

"…"

"N?"

"…"

"What's he doing?" I wondered aloud. I trudged up the stairs and towards the bathroom. The door was hanging wide open. I looked inside and saw the room empty. I walked back towards N's room. The door was closed except for a crack. I slowly pushed the door open. N was lying on his bed sleeping with nothing but a towel on. I screeched and slammed the door shut. What's he thinking? Did he just decide to go to sleep in only a towel because he thought it would be funny? I decided to look back in on him one more time. I opened the door and poked my head in the room. N was groaning, starting to wake up. I must have disturbed him when I slammed the door. I saw a pillow on the ground, next to the door, and picked it up. N sat up and looked my way. I whipped the pillow at him. It hit him directly in the face. He fell backwards from the surprise attack. "Get some clothes on!" I screamed. He removed the pillow from his face and looked down. His whole face turned red.

"S-Sorry. I must have just dozed off. I'll get d-dressed right away" N stuttered. I shut the door and went back downstairs. I sat on the couch and turned on the TV. I started to watch a show with Pokémon battles on it. All the challengers looked tough but not threatening. N appeared out of nowhere and sat down beside me. "Whatcha watchin'?" N asked curiously.

"A show about Pokémon battles. It's sort of boring. There aren't any trainers that look challenging. I'm gonna turn it off." I grabbed the remote and turned off the television. "Let me check your head." N nodded and bent forward. I started to part his thick green hair and search for the bump. I found it. The gash was starting to close and the bump decreased in size.

"How's it look?"

"It looks a lot better than yesterday" I concluded. "Does it hurt?"

"A little" N said. I let go of his head and stood up. I grabbed a Ziploc bag and filled it with ice.

"Here," I said, handing the ice pack to N "this will make it feel better."

"Thanks." N took the bag of ice from me and placed it on the bump. He let out a sigh of relief. I sat back down on the couch and leaned on N's chest. He wrapped his free arm around me and pulled me close. We sat there in silence. I was starting to feel uncomfortable. I glanced up at N. He was intensely staring at me. Has he been doing that the whole time? There was a hungry look in his eye.

"Ummm, N?" I said a little frightened. He just kept staring. "You're starting to freak me out." An evil grin spread across his face. He started to lean down towards me, never breaking our gaze. Once his face was centimeters from mine, did he actually break eye contact by closing his eyes. He closed the gap between us by kissing me. I happily kissed back, even though I was a little mad at him for freaking me out. N dropped his ice pack and wrapped his arms around me. I tangled my fingers in his hair, making sure to avoid the bump. I felt N's tongue trace my bottom lip, asking for entrance into my mouth. I opened my mouth and granted him access. Our tongues explored each other's mouths before battling for dominance. I moaned into the kiss. I could feel N start to smirk. N's hands travelled up and down my back, sending shivers throughout my body. During our make out session, I thought I heard a noise. I ignored it and continued kissing N. The next thing I knew, I heard the door open.

"Hey N, I was wondering when—" a voice began. I freaked out and jumped away from N. He jumped away from me too. We were both blushing like crazy. Inside the door frame stood Cheren, his mouth hanging wide open.

"C-Cheren, what a l-l-lovely surprise to see you h-here" I stuttered. Cheren closed his mouth and looked at me to N then back to me again.

"What? Huh? When?" Cheren stammered.

"Surprise" N mumbled. "I told her."

"Told her what?" Bianca said, coming out from behind Cheren. She must not have seen N and I 'invading' each other's personal space.

"Bianca! How nice to see you! What are you doing here?" I squeaked. I covered my mouth with my hands.

"Well, I went to go see you but your mom said that you would be over here the whole day. I saw Cheren heading here, so I followed him. He didn't know I was behind him though" Bianca explained. I looked at N. He was staring at Cheren. I sighed.

"Why don't you two come in? N and I have something to tell you."

"Okay" Bianca said, skipping into the house. She sat down at the table. Cheren nodded his head and followed after her. I grabbed N's hand and led him to the table. N and I sat beside each other while Cheren sat by Bianca. I was holding N's hand under the table. I inhaled a deep breath.

"Bianca. Cheren. N and I are dating." I said bluntly. I studied both of their reactions. Cheren crossed his arms over his chest, leaned back in his chair, and smirked. He didn't seem surprised at all. Bianca's usually cheery expression fell. I was getting nervous, mostly because of Bianca. N gave my hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Finally!" Cheren announced. "When'd you tell her, N? Yesterday? This morning?" Why that creep? Did he know about N's feelings too? Did everybody know but me?

"Yesterday" N replied.

"Did you know about this?" I hissed.

"I've known since I was nine" Cheren stated. "N told me."

"I'll kill you. I'll kill you all" I threatened.

"Tell her what? Know what?" Bianca asked confused.

"That N loves Touko. That he's loved her since she was eight" Cheren clarified.

"N loves Touko?" Bianca questioned.

"Duh? Hence the dating" Cheren said. "Well, since they're dating, I guess Touko feels the same way?" I nodded. Cheren smiled.

"Is that why you wouldn't marry me? It was because you loved Touko?" Bianca asked sadly.

"No, I didn't know I loved Touko then. I realized I loved her when I got dehydrated" N said.

"Congrats you two" Cheren said. "I gotta go. I only came here to ask N when he was gonna confess his undying love, but I walked in at a bad time. Please, don't do that often, especially in public." Cheren waved and left.

"You are such a cute couple. I mean N and I would be cuter together, but I guess it wasn't meant to be. See you guys around. I have to go or Professor Juniper will kill me. I was only on a lunch break. I was going to see if Touko wanted to have lunch, but I guess not. My lunch break is over in a few minutes anyway. Gotta run" Bianca grumbled.

"Bye" N and I called out. N looked back at me. Hunger still burned in his eyes. He got up and locked the door. I stood up and went to his side. He turned to face me.

"You're mine" N said possessively before tackling me. We landed on the floor with a thud. N started to kiss all over my face and neck. I kissed him back whenever I could. He lifted himself off me for a second before picking me up and carrying me. I was too busy kissing his neck to know where we were going. The next thing I knew, I was being laid down on N's bed. My mind began to panic. I looked at N. He looked so calm and relaxed. I relaxed a little under his gaze. He climbed on top of me and began to passionately kiss me again. I kissed him back. Once our need for oxygen grew to a point where we couldn't take it anymore, we broke the kiss to breath. We were both panting and starting to sweat. N kissed my neck once or twice before he started unbuttoning his shirt, tossing it to the side once it was off. He reached for the hem of his black sweater, peeled it off, and tossed it in the same direction. His bare chest was now showing.

"N" I breathed out. He silenced me with a kiss.

"No…talking" N managed to get out between kisses. His hands ran up and down my body. He grabbed my vest and yanked it off. He tossed it on the floor. My mind grew clouded from the amazing feeling I felt. His fingers played with the bottom of my tank top. I could feel his hand snake its way up under the fabric. I gasped as I felt him start to take it off. What was I thinking? I'm not focusing. I stopped kissing N and gently pushed him away.

"N, stop" I breathed out.

"What? Why?" N asked. His eyes looked glazed over in pure bliss.

"N, I'm only sixteen remember" I reminded him. N blinked a few time before realization hit him.

"Touko, I-I-I'm so sorry. I wasn't thinking straight. Everything just felt so right, like you were my age or something" N said in panic, not looking me in the eye. He quickly hopped off the bed and began putting his sweater and shirt back on. He stared to run a hand through his hair. I caught one of his wrists as he tried to leave the room.

"Slow down. It's okay. It wasn't your fault. I'm the one who didn't say anything earlier. You don't have to leave. I may not be able to do it now, but in a year or two I can or will. For now, you can just kiss me. Kiss me anytime you want. I don't care. Just don't leave, and make things awkward" I said softly. N looked at me. His eyes were filled with sorrow, regret, and pain. I can tell he really wants this. I do too but can't. I'm too young. This is one of the challenges of having a large age difference. "Come here" I invited, patting the other side of the bed. N crawled on the bed to lie beside me. I wrapped him in a hug. "I love you so much." He sighed.

"I love you too." I could hear him smile as he spoke.

**To reviewers: Thanks for leaving reviews so far and sticking with the story. Don't worry Ghetsis's plan to get N will commence in about four chapters.**

**A/N: Sorry, I just couldn't resist spicing things up a bit. Review.**


	10. Spreading Some News

_The Next Day…_

N's POV

I was walking to Route 1 to go do my daily search for injured Pokémon. I wanted to make sure that all my friends were okay. I made it to Route 1 and started scanning the area for anything out of the ordinary. There were one or two people here or there. Wild Pokémon scampered around through the grass or forest. Everything looked clear. I guess it's time to head back. I started to turn around when something caught my eye. A group of people began to gather around the announcement board. This can't be good. I pulled the bill of my cap down to cover my eyes and walked over to the crowd. I cleared my throat to get someone's attention. A guy, who looked a few years older than me, turned around to look at me. "What's going on?" I asked huskily.

"Someone just put up a new notice" the man explained.

"What is it about?" I questioned.

"Well, did you see that flyer for that missing king a few years back?" the guy asked.

"Yeah" I said. This guy must not recognize me, or he saw the flyer before I got there a few years ago.

"This new flyer is about the same guy, I think. I can't quite seem to get past these people to see it."

"Here let me help" I offered. "Hey! If you already read this new flyer, then move it and get out of here!" A few people jumped and quickly left. The guy and I were now close enough to see the paper. It looked almost the same as it did four years ago. "Missing: Natural Harmonia Gropius, N Harmonia, King N. Age: Twenty-Seven. Height: 6 ft. or over. Reward for his capture and return: Five hundred thousand dollars. Each week, a new notice will be posted with a new reward. Return the king alive and as soon as possible" I read aloud.

"Wow, they bumped up the reward from last time. They must really want him back now. They're going to be posting these weekly now with higher rewards. Maybe, I should start looking for him." the guy muttered. He looked up at me and smiled. I smiled back. "Thanks for your help. I don't know if I would have ever gotten to see this if you weren't here. What's your name? I don't think I caught it before."

"No problem. I got to go. It was nice meeting you. My name's N Harmonia by the way. See you around." I waved a hand and walked away. I saw the guy glancing at the flyer before looking back at me. His mouth hung open. I couldn't help but chuckle.

"Wait! Come back. At least tell me where you live!" the guy shouted. I shoved my hands in my pockets and ignored him. Shoot! I almost forgot something. I turned around and ran up to the wooden board. It was still broken and splintered from where I punched it a few years ago. I grabbed the flyer. I looked at the guy and flicked my cap up, a smirk on my face as the guy saw what I looked like.

"Sorry. I almost forgot this" I apologized, holding up the flyer. I walked away, leaving the man speechless. My dad will never find me. I won't let him. I reached my house in a matter of minutes. Touko was on the couch waiting for me. She looked like she was having a hard time sitting still as she sat on the cushions. She kept shifting positions and tapping her foot.

"Touko" I said to acknowledge my presence. Her head shot up and she looked at me. "What's wrong?"

"I wanted to ask you something" Touko said. "I got a call on the phone today. I have some news."

"What is it?" I asked.

"Someone wants to challenge me to a battle to become Champion. I'm really excited and nervous at the same time" Touko chirped.

"So you're going to leave? You just got back" I said sadly.

"I'm going to leave in a week. I need to prepare my things. I actually came here to ask you if you wanted to tag along" Touko said.

"You want me to come along?"

"Yeah. You said that if you travelled then you would want to do it with me. This is your chance. We'll only be gone a few days, but it is still travelling. What do you say?"

"I'd love to come. I want to watch you battle. When did you say we're leaving?"

"In a week."

"Okay. I'll pack my things." I walked up to Touko and gave her a hug. I'm not letting her go by herself, even if it is only for a few days.

_One week later…_

"Are we ready to go?" Touko asked. She picked up her bag from off my couch and slipped it on her shoulder.

"Yeah but let me make sure I'm not forgetting anything" I said. I grabbed my green backpack and opened the large pocket. I had clothes, food, medicine for humans and Pokémon, a sleeping bag, other necessities, and my robe and crown. I couldn't leave them behind; I don't trust anyone now that there are notices up about me. I zipped the pocket back up and felt my waist. My belt had all my original six Pokémon on it, including Audino and Reshiram. "Ready."

"Okay, let's head out. We can walk for a while then fly if we need to" Touko stated. She grabbed my hand and walked out the door.

"Okay" I confirmed. We started towards Route 1. I stopped dead in my tracks.

"N, what's wrong? Did you forget something after all?" Touko asked.

"No. I just remembered something. Can we stop at the announcement board when we go by?"

"Sure."

"Thanks." We continued walking until the board can into view. I tugged on Touko's arm and started running. She stumbled along as I dragged her. I saw a familiar head examining the board. I walked up behind the man and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around saw me. His eyes got huge. I glanced past the guy and at the flyer. The reward was now five hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars. I used my free hand to tear the paper off the board and shove it in my pocket.

"N, what was that?" Touko asked me.

"One of those flyers for my capture and return. My father probably ordered it to be put up" I explained calmly. "Oh, and this is a guy I met a week ago" I said, introducing Touko to the man. Touko held out her hand to him. He shakily took her hand and shook it.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Touko, N's girlfriend" Touko said. The man blinked.

"How old are you? You look pretty young. You also look sort of familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?" the guy asked. Touko looked taken back. I could tell that we both felt a little uncomfortable now.

"Ummm, sixteen and you might recognize me from TV. I think I was on the news a few days ago. I'm the new Champion of Unova" she said.

"I see" the guy said shiftily. He looked between us before smiling and walking away. Something seemed off. Last week, he wanted to turn me in for the reward. Today, he just walked away and did nothing. Did he realize money isn't everything or something?

"What was that all about?" Touko asked.

"I have no idea. I never said we were close. Anyway, I think we should get going. When do we have to get to the Pokémon League?" I said.

"In two days" Touko responded.

"Come on then. We have a long trip ahead of us." I led Touko away from Route 1 by the hand. I had no idea where I was going, but I didn't care since Touko was there beside me.

"What are you going to do about those flyers?" Touko asked as we walked. She didn't seem to care where we were going either.

"I'll tear them down and burn them" I simply said.

"N, how are you going to do that? They're probably all over the Unova region. We're not traveling the whole region. Besides, they're probably replaced. It's impossible to get every single one" Touko cried out. "I shouldn't have invited you."

"What?" I asked quietly. I looked at Touko, tears ran down her cheeks.

"If I knew that there were people after you, then I wouldn't have asked you to come. You were safe in Nuvema Town. Nobody goes there. I don't want someone to take you away from me." I pulled Touko into my arms. I lifted her chin up with my finger so she would look me in the eyes. She just looked to the side. I wiped away her tears with my thumb.

"Look at me" I demanded softly. She did nothing. "Look at me." Her gaze slowly met mine. "Everything will be fine. I promise you that nothing will happen to me. I have you to thank for that."

"What did I do?"

"You gave me a bodyguard. You gave me Reshiram, remember? I brought him with me."

"Reshiram? You have him?"

"Yeah, right here" I said while patting my belt. "He'll protect me."

"I believe you. Nothing's gonna happen." Touko sighed. I gently kissed her.

"Nothing" I promised. She gave me a small smile.

_The next day…_

Touko and I were in Nimbasa City. We were going to take a break here.

"Do you want to go ride the Ferris Wheel?" I asked, pointing to the large rotating amusement park ride.

"Sure. We better hurry. I think that the park just opened. There isn't a line. We want to get there before anyone else" Touko yelled. She started dragging me towards the first open cart. I felt a rumbling as we ran. I looked over my shoulder. Behind us, a huge crowd of people were racing to the ride too. They were probably trying to get there while there was no line also.

"Faster! We're going to get trampled!" I screamed. I picked up my speed and took the lead. We ran past the worker that helped people into the cars. He gave us a skeptical look before closing the doors behind us. Touko and I were both panting for air. "We…made it."

"Yeah…that was…a…close…one" Touko said between breaths. I fell back onto a bench and relaxed. I twisted my neck to look out the window. The sun was high in the sky. Our car was almost to the top. It kept stopping to let on passengers. I could see across the whole city and a little farther. Everything was so beautiful and serene. All the trees were plush and green. Pokémon were playing down below.

"Wow" I breathed out. I straightened my back and pressed my face to the glass. "Everything looks so perfect. The world looks like it is in harmony."

"I thought the same thing, the first time I rode this. You can see a killer sunset and sunrise from here too. I wish they would have opened earlier today." I was too busy looking out the window to notice that the car doors slid open.

"Excuse me, could you please exit the car? There are other passengers that want to ride" the attendant asked. I jumped at the voice. I blushed out of embarrassment.

"Sorry, we'll get off now" I said. I grabbed Touko's hand, and we got off. The sun was beating down on us out in the open. Touko and I continued to walk around the amusement park to kill some time. I was too busy looking at all the different stalls that I didn't see the guy right in front of me. I ran right into him. He turned around and glared at me. He looked about eighteen.

"Watch where you're going, buddy!" he yelled.

"I'm so sorry, sir. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. I'll be more careful next time" I said.

"You better" he growled. He scowled at me a minute more before turning to Touko. "I'm so sorry, miss." Great, he's trying to look like a nice guy to impress my girlfriend. He stared at her for a second before frowning. "You're the Champion, right?"

"Yes" Touko said unhappily. She must be mad at the guy for yelling at me. The guy turned around to a few of his friends.

"Hey fellas, look at this. It's the Champion" he laughed. "You're a joke, ya know that? Everybody thinks that the League should fire you. Nobody takes you seriously."

"Huh?" Touko said confused. She sounded a little hurt by the words. I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to me. Nobody would hurt my girl.

"What are you doing with this old guy? Why would a pretty young thing like you, go out with this old fella?" he asked Touko. He directed his gaze back to me. "How old are you? Like thirty? You should try going out with someone your own age. You're sick." He turned back to Touko. "How about you and I go on a date? Leave this guy for someone closer to your own age." Touko's eyes started to water. I growled. I started to bunch up my sleeves and ball up my fists. One of the guy's friends noticed and took a swing at me. I ducked and punched him in the gut. He doubled over in pain. Hey, I was the former King of Team Plasma. I had to be trained to protect myself. I turned on the guy that was bad talking us earlier; he had Touko in his hold.

"Let her go" I snapped.

"No. I'm just saving her from a relationship that's not gonna work out. You're too old for her" the guy said. He just crossed the line. I started at him. Before I could do anything, Touko elbowed him in the stomach. He let go of her immediately to hold his abdomen. She turned around to face him. She gave him a good swift kick in between the legs. He fell onto the ground on his side. He rolled around groaning.

"Age doesn't matter, you jerk" she yelled at him. She walked up to me and took my hand. "Let's go." I obediently followed. "How did he find out I was dating an older guy? You don't look that much older. You just look tall." I thought about it.

"I bet it was that guy I introduced you to yesterday. I bet you a million bucks that, our names or at least yours is in the paper. The next time I see him, I'll kill him" I growled.

"Whoa, three things. One: I don't have a million bucks, and you probably do." I smirked at the comment. She wasn't wrong. "Two: How did that guy from yesterday know your age? And three: Why would only my name possibly be in the paper?"

"Well, he saw that flyer that was posted about me. It had my current age on it. And I don't know why my name might not be in the paper. I just guessed that it wasn't because the guy that you just beat up didn't seem to know who I was. I bet if he knew my name, then he would know I was a king. Seriously, who else has the name Natural? Also, he didn't seem to mind that his friend tried to beat me up. I don't think my father would be happy to see me injured if he turned me in. He must not have known who I was" I said.

"You're right. Maybe that guy from yesterday forgot your name. You did take the flyer away from him."

"True."

"I knew something like this would happen if we started dating. I also knew we would have to deal with it. Now, it is ruining my image as Champion. I'll just have to stay strong and ignore what people think." I hugged Touko.

"We can get through it. You are the strongest, most independent girl I know. Now come on. We still have a day's worth of travelling to do. We have to be there by tomorrow." Touko and I intertwined our fingers before setting off. Hopefully, the League doesn't remove Touko from her position. She deserves it.

**A/N: Some people are major creeps. Who do you think the person that wants to face Touko is? Leave your guess in the comments if you want. Please, review if you have the time. *glances at clock* I've got it!**


	11. Battling for the Title of Champion

_The next day…_

Touko's POV

I jogged the rest of the way to the mountain. We made it. We finally made it. The Pokémon League was right in front of me, across the bridge of rock. I turned around and started jogging backwards. N was doing his best to follow me. His was taking deep breaths. "Hurry up and get over here! You have got to see this!" I shouted. N had his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. He glanced up at me. His eyes got wide. I stopped in my tracks. I better let N catch up. He slowly made his way over to me.

"It's magnificent. You work for these people?" N asked in amazement.

"Yep. I was supposed to start to live here but since I'm so young, they let me go back home. Not many challengers make it to the Champion, so they decided to just call if someone made it to my level. I love it here. I'll never get tired of the architecture" I said. N scanned the entire structure. His eyes roamed until it stopped on something behind me. I was still facing N, so I didn't know what he was looking at. His eyes got even wider than before. He looked scared. "N, what's wrong?"

"I think I'm just going to stay here. I don't think I'm comfortable with watching your battle after all. Actually, I think I might just go home" N said distantly, his eyes still locked on the thing behind me. I started to frown.

"Really? I wanted you to watch. Is something bothering you?" I said sadly. I turned around to scan the area. I didn't see anything unusual or bothersome. I turned back to N. His back was facing me, and he was running a hand through his hair.

"This was a bad idea. I shouldn't have come. What's wrong with me? I should have stayed in Nuvema Town. I was safe there" N mumbled to himself. I placed a hand on N's shoulder. He jumped, spinning around to look at me. N sighed in relief like I wasn't who he thought I was.

"N, tell me what's wrong? If you're going to be my boyfriend, then you have to tell me what's bothering you." N looked to the side. "N, please. I want to help you." He sighed.

"Fine. You see that large structure way back behind the Pokémon League?" I shielded my eyes from the sun and squinted. I saw some sort of tower thing but that's it. It wasn't that big.

"I see a tower."

"That's what I'm talking about. It isn't just a tower. Behind the trees is actually a huge castle, the Team Plasma Castle."

"Oh."

"What if someone from Team Plasma works here? My father has grunts working all over Unova. They have regular jobs to disguise their true nature as members of Team Plasma. I didn't know that the Pokémon League was carved into the mountain in front of the castle. If I did, then I wouldn't have come" N sighed out.

"It will be fine. You said that your father never let you leave the castle. Maybe, the guys working outside of the castle won't recognize you."

"I don't think so. Now, that there are missing signs everywhere, there is no doubt that they could have seen one. My father might have even shown a picture to everyone so that they know what I look like. They are most likely keeping an eye out for me."

"You're right."

"I really do want to see your battle" N admitted.

"I really want you to see it too, but what are we going to do? Do you have any extra clothes? You could wear a disguise" I suggested.

"Let me see" N said, opening up his backpack. "I have a doctor's coat and sunglasses and other than that, nothing besides my crown and robe."

"You brought your crown and robe!" I screeched.

"Ssshh Touko, be quiet" N hissed.

"Sorry. You're obviously not wearing your robe and crown. Put on your doctor's coat and button it up the whole way. Wear the sunglasses on your face and take off your hat."

"What about my hair? Won't anybody notice it?" N questioned.

"Hopefully not. We can't have you wearing your crown or hat. Someone might recognize them. You did bring them from the castle. Don't talk unless we are alone or at my battle. I think we're all set. Are you ready?" N nodded as he finished buttoning up his coat. I nodded and grabbed his hand. We both headed across the rock bridge. The guy in front of the entrance to the Pokémon League nodded his head to me in greeting. I grabbed the bill of my hat and bowed down a little. "Before we go in, I have to heal my Pokémon. Want to come in or wait out here?"

"I'll go in" N decided.

"Okay. That's a good idea actually. You can see Nurse Joy. If you want, you can talk to her." N smiled but kept his mouth shut. I could tell he was really excited. N and I walked through the doors to the Pokémon Center.

"Hello Touko, I'm glad you made it. I was beginning to think that you weren't going to show" Nurse Joy said.

"I wouldn't dream of it. I never back down from a challenge" Touko said.

"Is this your boyfriend that I've been reading about in the newspaper?" Nurse Joy asked, looking at N. So it was in the newspaper.

"Yeah. He's a Pokémon Doctor" I said.

"How wonderful! I'm always glad to meet fellow Pokémon Doctors. I don't care what other people say about you. I like you already. You two look so cute together" Nurse Joy squealed. "What's your name?" N cleared his throat.

"My name's Natural" N said hoarsely. He must be trying to disguise his voice. Smart thinking.

"It's nice to meet you" Nurse Joy said.

"It's a pleasure" N said.

"Nurse Joy, I came here to heal my Pokémon before my battle" I said, handing her my pokéballs.

"Of course. It will only take a minute" she said. She set them on the healing machine and pressed the on button. She turned around to face me.

"So, what do people say about me and N?" I asked darkly.

"N?" Nurse Joy said confused.

"That's Natural's nickname" I explained.

"Oh. Well anyway, the league doesn't like you dating the King of Team Plasma" Nurse Joy said. My heart dropped. Those boys from the amusement park must not have cared who N was. They just wanted to take me for their own pleasure.

"You know that he's the King of Team Plasma?" I said quietly.

"Yes. The newspaper mentioned it. They just never mentioned a name" Nurse Joy said.

"You mean that you've never seen a flyer posted anywhere about N?" I asked.

"No but then again, I don't leave this mountain very often" Nurse Joy admitted. The healing machine started to play a jingle. "Your Pokémon are fully healed. You better get to that battle. Please, come again."

"Bye" I called out.

"It was nice meeting you" N said normally. He must have dropped the fake voice. I sighed.

"We can either forget the plan or just pretend that you're not my boyfriend. You can pretend to just be my friend. Which idea do you like better?" I proposed.

"I think I'll just drop the act. I don't want to pretend to not be your boyfriend. I want people to know I love you. I want to give you a victory kiss once you win the battle. I'll risk my safety for you" N stated.

"You'd do that for me?"

"Any day, any time, any place."

"You are just too good" I said. I wrapped an arm around N, and he wrapped an arm around me. We went back to the guy guarding the entrance to the Pokémon League. I handed him my ID card and he checked it. He nodded and allowed me access into the League.

"Sorry buddy, not you" the guard said to N. I sweat dropped.

"And one guest" I said annoyed, purposely showing how I felt. The guy let N pass.

"That guy is pretty strict" N whispered in my ear.

"Yeah, security is pretty tight. It may seem like only one person is standing guard, but there are actually a whole bunch of people hiding in the shadows."

"Sounds like the castle. When my father kicked me out of the castle, he was going to send me somewhere and lock me up. I figured out his plan and decided to run away. Too bad I knew where all the guards were at when I ran away thanks to all my friends."

"Ah, so that's how you escaped the castle? My N actually has secret connections to Pokémon. That could come in handy one day" I joked. N looked at me with a shocked expression. "I was just kidding. Lighten up."

"Sorry. So where are we going exactly?" N asked me.

"We're going to the room where the Champion waits for the challenger." I looked at my Xtransceiver. "We better hurry. The challenger should be here any minute now. Me and you will go in one door, and the challenger can only come in through a certain one. They can only come in through a certain door because by entering through that door, it shows me that the challenger beat the Elite Four. Since they beat the Elite Four, they can challenge me."

"Okay" N said. He sounded like he didn't understand what I just said. I sighed.

"Never mind. Forget what I said. Look, I can see the door just up ahead." I ran up to the closed door that blended in with the wall. I scanned my ID card by sliding in a slot by the door. The door clicked to show that it was unlocked. I opened the door and stepped inside. My room was made to match my personality. The whole room was painted black and white. Pictures of Pokémon danced across the walls. The floor was black and white tile.

"Wow, this place is amazing. Was it already like this when you got it?" N breathed out.

"No. I designed it. I wanted to show that I have a dark and light side. I can be tough, hard, and mean or sweet, sensitive, and caring. That's represented by the colors black and white. I also wanted to show my love for Pokémon and how I don't specialize in a specific type. So I had pictures of different Unova Pokémon be painted on the wall" I answered.

"This room matches your personality perfectly" N agreed. Just as I opened my mouth, the door that challengers entered through slid open. I couldn't believe who just walked in the room along with a few extra people.

"Iris?!" I shouted in disbelief. The Opelucid City Gym Leader looked at her shoes in embarrassment.

"Hi, Touko" Iris, the dragon master, said shyly.

"Are you my challenger?" I asked.

"Yeah" she squeaked.

"Who are those people that came with you?"

"Ummm, Pokémon League officials" Iris mumbled.

"What's going on?" N asked in confusion.

"My challenger is the Opelucid City Gym Leader" I shrieked out in anger. Why was Iris facing me if she had a gym to run?

"Why is a gym leader facing you? Shouldn't they be running their gym?" N said.

"I don't know. How about I ask her? Iris, why are you here?" I growled. The older girl, didn't seem fazed by my harsh glare.

"At first, the Pokémon League wanted me to battle you to test your loyalty. They wanted to make sure you were worthy and would respond to calls and stuff, but now the League decided that I might make a better Champion. They said that you are possibly not trustworthy now. They said that they didn't approve of you dating an older man, but mostly because he is the King of Team Plasma. Nobody knows where your loyalty stands. They believe that you might have threatened Alder with the help of Team Plasma to get the title as Champion. Everybody believes that you aren't strong enough to beat Alder. He was practically unbeatable until you came along. He only lost because you threatened him. The League wants me to battle you for the title. If I win, you lose your title and are never allowed to compete in the League again. Also, you have to serve jail time for threatening Alder. If you win, the League allows you to keep your title and merrily live your life" Iris explained. My head was whirling in confusion. So many thoughts clouded my mind. The League didn't trust me and hated large age differences? They thought I committed a crime with the help of Team Plasma? Who are they to judge someone and their relationship? My blood boiled. "Of course, I don't think you cheated. I'm with you, Touko."

"You are so going down. I will prove to you that I won this title fair and square and for a reason. Nobody makes assumptions about me that aren't true. Nobody gets away with judging my relationship either. I'm going to give it my all!" I shouted to the Pokémon League officials. This is one reason I picked black to go on the walls and floor. N walked up and stood beside me. He grabbed my hand to show his support. I looked at his face. His sunglasses were off and his bangs shadowed his eyes. He looked evil or something.

"Nobody judges my Touko that way. I have a few things to say to you. I am not the King of Team Plasma anymore, and you got yourself into a load of trouble" N said darkly. He had an evil smirk on his face and evil glint in his eye. He looked terrifying. I was even a little scared of my own boyfriend at the moment. Iris cowered back in fear along with the other people. Does N have a dark side?

"Bring it on" I yelled. I leaned up to whisper in N's ear. "I have a secret weapon. On my first trip here, I didn't use any of my legendary Pokémon in the League. I think now would be a good time to use all six. Maybe, my friendship and trust with the legends will convince them that I am trustworthy." N let out and evil chuckle.

"Do it. We'll show them that you are amazing" N said lowly for only me to hear. I nodded. N swiftly grabbed me by the waist and dipped me backwards. He gave me a long kiss on the lips. N broke the connection and grinned. My head was buzzing. I was not expecting that. I don't know where this Dark N came from, but I sort of like him. I shook my head clear of unwanted thoughts, and I faced Iris.

"Come on out, Kyurem" I called. Iris saw the large dragon and gasped. My Pokémon let off a deafening roar. Iris looked like she was in heaven. If she thinks this is awesome, she hasn't seen my other Pokémon.

_Six of Iris's Pokémon Later…_

The battle ended as quickly as it begun. I trained all my regular six Pokémon along with the legendary as soon as I caught them. We grew the strongest we could. Iris never stood a chance. All of her Pokémon fainted, and I was only on my second one. Iris was down on her knees in shock. Her hands slightly trembled from fear. She was scared of my power. "Good battle, Iris" I said, offering my hand to shake. She looked at it and hesitantly took it. We shook hands then I helped her up. My hands were on my hips afterwards.

"You're unbeatable. You're merciless" Iris stated.

"Don't worry. I won't use this team during league battles with challengers. I'll use my regular team of six that I used to beat Alder and the Elite Four. I want the challenger to at least stand a chance" I laughed.

"That's good. Since you won, I guess you can keep your title and freely live your life" Iris said.

"Yeah, thanks" I said. Iris left the room, and the Pokémon League officials approached me.

"Congratulations. We are sorry for the inconvenience. We just weren't sure what to think when we read about your relationship with the King of Team Plasma. We thought that you started working with them. I hope you can forgive us" one of the League officials apologized.

"No. It's alright. I won't accept your apology. Bye now. If you need me again, I'll be in Nuvema Town with N" I said sweetly through grit teeth. They stood there in shock. I grabbed N's hand and exited out the door we came through.

"Get out of my challenger's room too before I seriously hurt you" I called back over my shoulder. I heard feet scramble around before silence.

"You did a great job battling" N complimented.

"You think so? Even if I only used two Pokémon and they were legendary?"

"Yeah. I would hate to face off with you. My Reshiram is the only one who could stand a chance" N stated.

"Yeah. How about we head home? I'm getting home sick already" I confessed. N smiled.

"Me too. Me too."

_Two days later…_

N and I finally made it home. It was the middle of the night, so I decided to stay with N. I didn't want to go home and wake up my mom by making too much noise. N and I went into his house and upstairs to his room. Nobody knew we were home, so I shouldn't get in trouble for sleeping with N. N and I curled up together under the sheets and snuggled. I finally had a chance to relax.

**A/N: Sorry if you wanted a battle scene but I think they are boring, long, confusing, and hard to write. Review, if you want.**


	12. Taken

N's POV

I gently turned to face Touko as she slept. Her hair was down and sprawled out around her face and shoulders. It looked soft to the touch. I reached out and petted her hair. I was right; it was soft. Touko groaned and rolled onto her side, facing away from me. I lay on my back and stared out the window. The sun was rising, an orange glow lit up the sky. Today was going to be a beautiful day. I sat up and decided to go make breakfast for us. I stood up and headed for the door. Suddenly, I heard a loud bang. I froze. Someone must be in the house. I went up to Touko and shook her shoulders. "Touko? Touko, wake up!" I said quietly. She groaned and sat up.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Ssshh, I think someone's in the house" I whispered. Touko's eyes widened. She was fully awake and alert now.

"I'm going to check it out. Wait here" I commanded. She nodded. "I'll yell if I need your help." I opened the bedroom door and stepped out into the hallway. The corridor creaked a little bit as I walked down it. I reached the steps and crept down them, trying not to make a sound. I looked around until I spotted a few men in my living room. "Who are you, and what are you doing in my house?" I growled.

"Isn't it obvious? We're here to take you back home. Lord Ghetsis will be very pleased" one of the men said.

"Lord Ghetsis? My father? You're members of Team Plasma! How did you find me?" I hissed.

"We got a call from some very nice Pokémon League officials. They will be receiving a hearty award" another guy said.

"Stay away from me" I spat. I reached for my belt to summon Reshiram, but all I touched was fabric. I left my belt on my nightstand. "Touko?!" I called.

"Not so fast" the first man that spoke said. He and his henchmen lunged for me. I started to run up the stairs, but one caught me by the ankle. I fell forward and landed on my front on the bumpy stairs. My chin smashed off a step, and I bit my tongue. I could feel blood fill my mouth. The metallic taste was all I could think of. The Team Plasma grunts pulled me off the stairs and held my arms behind my back. Pain exploded throughout my body as I stood on my feet, breathing became difficult. I think I broke a rib or two when I fell.

"Touko! Tou—" I shrieked, a hand covered my mouth to muffle my screams. The guys dragged me to the door. Touko finally appeared at the bottom of the stairs. My eyes filled with fear as the guys dragged me away. I bit the hand that covered my mouth. It withdrew immediately. "Touko, help!" I tried to shake the guys off, but they were too strong. Tears streamed down Touko's face as she stared at me.

"I-I-I can't! I left my Pokémon at Professor Juniper's last night. I don't know what to do" Touko screeched. Her eyes frantically darted back and forth, looking for something to use as a weapon. She spotted a butcher's knife on the counter. She withdrew the blade from its holder. Its silver metal blade gleamed in the light. "Put him down!" Touko screamed, venom dripping off each word along with fear. She slowly advanced towards my captors and me.

"Sorry girly. Say goodbye to King N. He has to go home. If you want to take your anger out on someone, take it out on the Pokémon League" a voice said from behind me. Rage clouded my mind as I violently thrashed around. The Team Plasma grunts hauled me out the door. Touko ran after us with the knife in hand. She started to slash at the nearest people. Some of the guys' clothes got ripped and blood poured out of the deep cuts they received. Touko was too far away from me to help as she kept fighting off a few grunts. I heard a roaring sound behind me. I turned around to see a helicopter with the Team Plasma emblem on it. I looked back at Touko one last time before I was lifted into the copter and out of sight. The copter took off. I was handcuffed and strapped down to a seat. Down below on the ground, I saw Touko fall to her knees and cry. We flew over the trees, and I lost sight of my love. In the distance, I could hear someone scream bloody murder. I had a good feeling that I knew who the scream came from. Touko.

"What are you going to do to me? Throw me in the dungeon? Ha, we don't even have a dungeon" I said.

"I see that you are already considering yourself a part of Team Plasma again" one of the guys said.

"Think what you want but I will never be part of that Team again. All that they do is liberate Pokémon. I learned many years ago, even before I left that people and Pokémon get along. No matter how hard Team Plasma tries, the bond between people and Pokémon will never be broken. It is just too strong" I stated.

"I'm sure Lord Ghetsis would be pleased to hear your opinion" the same guy from before said.

"You can tell Ghetsis that he can go to—" I started but got cut off when I got slapped across the cheek. My face stung as I turned my head to the attacker. He was wagging a finger at me with a smirk on his face.

"Ah ah ah, language" the guy who slapped me said. I growled.

"I thought I was your King."

"Not unless Lord Ghetsis decides that. He will decide what to do with you. For now, you are a mere prisoner" a grunt said.

"You and I both know that he won't hurt me. I'm too valuable to him. The only other people who are worth as much as me to him are my sisters, Anthea and Concordia. You are all just gum on his shoe. He puts up with you until he decides to finally get rid of you" I snarled. One of the grunts punched me in the face. My head turned to the left on impact. I smiled. I turned back to face the grunts. Blood seeped out of my mouth and lip. I gave them a toothy smile. My teeth were probably covered in red and the gaps of my teeth were probably filled in with the liquid too. I sucked it up and spit on everyone. They jumped to their feet and rolled up their sleeves.

"Lord Ghetsis trusts us. He would never think of us like that" a Team Plasma member defended.

"Oh yeah. It's not like he ever told me you were worthless little pawns in his game. Oh no, he never said stuff like that to me. I guess I just imagined it all" I said sarcastically with a roll of my eyes.

"You lie" one of the henchmen yelled. He punched me in the face. I love getting grunts worked up.

"I don't think Ghetsis would want his son hospitalized or even injured. He might get upset if he finds out you damaged his only thing worth keeping. I mean, obviously Anthea and Concordia aren't much use to him. If they were, then he wouldn't need me. But alas, he does need me. Or else he wouldn't have spent eight years trying to find me and get me back." The grunts looked at each other questionably. I bet they were trying to see if anyone knew if they could hurt me or not.

"Alright, no more beating the prisoner" one grunt commanded. He must want to be on the safe side. Good, that gives me more of a reason to get them worked up.

"Wow, you guys are real wimps. Do you think Ghetsis is going to get mad at you for hurting me? Grow up and be men. The worst Ghetsis can do to you is fire you. It's not like he's going to kill you" I said jokingly. Everyone looked at me unconvinced. "Seriously? You seriously think he would do that? You guys are pathetic. Everything you ever heard about killing or torture is a rumor. I know I've been gone for a long time but my fath—I mean Ghetsis would never do that. He doesn't want blood on his hands." Nobody said anything. The rest of the ride back to the castle was silent. I didn't have any more to say to these idiots. Our aircraft landed on a flat piece of roof of the castle. I was unstrapped and shoved off the helicopter. A grunt led me to the stairs that allowed access to the roof.

"Move it" the grunt leading me snarled, pushing me as we descended the stairwell.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked roughly. If my father does make me king again, this guy and everyone else that took me away from Touko are getting fired.

"To Lord Ghetsis for evaluation" the grunt responded.

"What evaluation?"

"The one to see if you should be punished and held prisoner, return to being king, or be given a new position" the grunt informed me as we walked down an old dusty corridor.

"I don't want to be king again or here for the matter, but I sort of hope I am crowned King again. Because when I am, you along with your buddies are all going to pay for what you did" I threatened. The grunt tensed up after hearing that I could possibly become king and get revenge. "I'd watch my back if I were you." We were silent after that. I decided to inspect the castle for any escape routes. I knew this castle like the back of my hand, but things could have changed or been moved while I was gone. Nothing seemed out of place in this area. There were only old portraits on the walls and a red carpet beneath our feet. I sighed. I know that I can't escape the same way I did when I was a teenager after my father told me to get out. I need a new way, but how? We finally arrived at some large oak doors. Two guards blocked them. I recognized them both. They were the same guards from when I lived in the castle. I was shoved towards them.

"We're here" the grunt said.

"Get ready, prepare yourself for Lord Ghetsis" a guard ordered. I spit on his shoe.

"I'll do as I please. I'm not going to start taking orders from a grunt" I spat at the guard. He was technically a grunt. He just was a grunt that guarded things. The guard looked taken aback. I wasn't surprised. I used to be so nice and kind to everyone. I felt tough and mean now. I guess people can change over the years. Touko really toughened me up but then again, I wouldn't be like this if they hadn't taken me from her. I am so angry right now.

"King N? You're back" the guard, that didn't anger me, squeaked. I turned to smile at her.

"I'm so glad to be back" I said forcefully. I always liked the girl and didn't want to be mean. She was always nice to me.

"Do not call the prisoner _King_!" the grunt behind me instructed.

"Yes" the girl said saluting. If I'm king, she is going to either get a promotion or raise. She has been her for many years. Her loyalty has really shown.

"Now, let us in. Lord Ghetsis is expecting us" the grunt directed. The two guards nodded. They each grabbed a handle on the double doors and pulled them open. I was led inside. I stared at the floor, for I didn't want to see my father's face. I heard retreating footsteps behind me. I knew that I was all alone in the room with my father now. I looked up and saw his cruel gaze. His one good red eye shone in the light while his other burned with rage.

"Welcome home, N."

**A/N: I never planned this to happen. I just sort of thought that you readers would be like 'what ever happened with Team Plasma and their search for N?' after the first missing poster scene. I only added the first missing poster part for fun. But then I'm like, this leads to something else too. I have to write about it, so here it is. Review. **


	13. Just Go With It

Touko's POV

I continued to slash at the strange men through blurred eyesight as they ran around. They looked lost and confused as they frantically searched the sky. What were they looking for? I stopped swinging the butcher's knife around for a second to glance up into the vast blue sky. I stopped running around when I spotted a helicopter. I caught a glimpse of N's hair inside. I fell to my knees as tears poured out of my eyes even harder than before. The copter flew past the trees and out of my sight. "N?" I whispered to myself. He was gone, and I couldn't do anything about it. Even if I did get my Pokémon earlier, I would have been too late. It would have taken too long to go to the lab and back. The force of reality hit me like a ton of bricks when I realized N was gone, and I didn't know if I would ever see him again. I threw my head back and screamed as hard as I could. Bird Pokémon flew from the trees and away from the sudden noise. The lights inside houses suddenly turned on and doors flew open. People ran straight towards me. The strange men in weird outfits fled from the scene.

"Touko? Touko, what happened? What's wrong?" a voice said. I looked up. It was my mom. I latched onto her shoulder and cried. More people gathered around me. I saw Cheren and his family, Bianca and her family, and more neighbors that I couldn't recognize at the moment.

"He-He-He's gone. They took him. He's gone" I sobbed into my mother's shoulder.

"Who's gone? Who took who? What are you talking about?" Bianca's asked.

"N. N. They took him. I don't know who they were. I think it was Team Plasma. They took him. They took my N" I cried out in hysterics.

"Why do you have a knife? And why is it covered in blood? Why are you covered in blood? Touko, are you okay?" one of the neighbor's asked. I couldn't identify them by the voice, but I knew it was someone I knew.

"I-I-I was using it for-for protection. I-I was using it to fight off the guys that took N. This b-blood isn't mine. It's th-theirs. And I'm not okay. I feel like I'm all alone." I gripped my mother's shirt tighter and continued to cry. What am I going to do?

"Ssshh. There. There. It's okay. Everything will be alright. N will find a way back. Don't worry. He's strong. Besides, he has the Reshiram you gave him, right?" my mother cooed. I sniffled. Yeah, he did have Reshiram. Everything's gonna be okay. I'll just go back into the house and rest. It's still pretty early in the morning. I'll take a nap and carry on with the rest of my day. By the time the day is over, N will be home safe and sound. My mother helped me stand up and led me to N's house. Neighbors watched me off in concern. My mother opened the door to N's house and led me inside. She led me to the couch, and I sat down. "It's still pretty early in the morning. I'm going to go back home and get some sleep. You can stay here and wait for N to come back." I nodded my head in silence. Mom left afterwards.

"N, come back soon" I whispered to myself. I was still tired too, so I went up to N's room and lay down on his bed. The lamp on his side of the bed was still on. Yes, we each have our own side of the bed now. I reached over and turned off the light. My hand retracted back to me and bumped something on the nightstand. I gently grabbed the object. I brought it close to my face and examined it. It was N's belt. I silently gasped and dropped it onto the mattress. "No. No. No. This isn't happening. N has to have Reshiram, right?" I said to myself in disbelief. I grabbed each of his pokéballs on his belt and looked at them. All six of them from his normal team were there, including the extra two that contained Audino and Reshiram. That made a total of eight. I flipped over and buried my face into a pillow. It smelled like N. I cried into the pillow and fell asleep.

_Two hours later…_

"Touko?" I heard someone say as they shook my body. "Touko?" I opened my eyes and scanned the surrounding area. I was in N's room, but it was not N talking. I blinked and reality came crashing down on me. N was gone. He mustn't be back yet. If he had a chance of escaping, he would have been back by now. He's gone. I buried my head in my pillow and cried.

"GO AWAY!" I yelled into the pillow.

"What's wrong?" the familiar voice of my mother said softly. I withdrew my head from the pillow and glanced up at my mom, sniffling. When did she get in here anyway?

"N isn't coming back. He's gone. Gone forever" I sobbed.

"He's coming back. He's a strong boy. Besides, Reshiram is by his side" my mother said quietly.

"No. He can't get away" I sighed out in defeat.

"Why not? Don't you believe in your own boyfriend?" Mom huffed in annoyance.

"Because he left Reshiram here!" I snapped. My mother's hands flew up to her face and covered her mouth as she gasped.

"Oh my!"

"Can you just leave? I want to be alone for a while. I'll come back home when I'm ready" I said calmly.

"If you want. I can always stay if you like" Mom offered.

"No thanks."

"Okay, but don't stay too long" Mom said worriedly before stalking off. I flipped over on the bed, so I was on my back. I rested my hands on my stomach and stared at the ceiling. I have to come up with a plan to help save N. I do believe he can figure a way out of this mess but without Reshiram, I don't know what he can do. If I can come up with a plan to help N, then I can try and attempt to rescue him whether he needs help or not. So what can I do? I closed my eyes for a second to think. I laid there for what seemed like hours but was actually only twenty minutes. I opened my eyes when I heard a knocking at the door. I quickly got up and went downstairs.

"Coming! Just a minute!" I shouted. The knocking continued and grew increasingly louder. "Hold on!" More knocking. I stomped up to the door and yanked it open.

"For Arceus sake, what is it?!" I growled. Bianca stood in front of me with her hand frozen in a mid-knock position. "Oh, Bianca. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. I've just been having a really bad day" I sighed. She lowered her hand and gave me a gentle smile of understanding.

"Don't worry. I understand. You did have the whole town up earlier, remember?" my blonde friend chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

"How can I forget?" I said sadly. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"I came to see if you were holding up alright. I know you must miss N like crazy."

"I do" I said quietly. "Won't you come in?"

"I can't. I actually have to get over to Professor Juniper's lab. I only came here to give you this. It's my old good luck charm. I want you to have it" Bianca said, handing me a small box.

"What? I can't accept this. You probably need it more than me" I insisted.

"Nah, I have a new one. I haven't looked at this thing in years. Keep it. I gotta go now. See you later." Bianca skipped away from the house and left me standing there. I was alone again. I closed the door and walked over the cherry wood table. The chair that I pulled out creaked as I sat down. I clutched the box to me chest. Should I open it or not? Maybe I should just give it back to Bianca. No, she wouldn't take it back. I guess I have to keep it. I slowly drew the box away from me and set it on the reddish colored wood. The box was the size of a pokéball. It was orange with a green ribbon, so Bianca like. I grabbed the end of the silk strand and pulled on it. The ribbon untied itself and fell off the box. I gently lifted the lid off the box and peered inside. I gasped.

"Bianca, you shouldn't have. It's so cute" I mumbled to myself. There were tears in my eyes as I grabbed the string and lifted the charm out of the box. Attached to the string was a small figurine of the Pokémon Jirachi, the wish granting Pokémon. No wonder Bianca had this as a good luck charm. It makes people's wishes come true. I smiled at the little figurine and gave it a little hug. "Please, let N come back home safely."

_Four hours later…_

I scrambled around my bedroom throwing things into my pink shoulder bag. I threw clothes, potions, repels, and food into the sack. I was in a hurry. I decided to go save N. I was going to make a plan, but it didn't exactly turn out the way I wanted it to. My plan was supposed to be well thought out and strategic but it actually isn't. My plan is to wing it. I'll barge into the Team Plasma Castle and take N back. It'll work out...I hope. After everything was all packed, I slung my bag over my shoulder and crept down the stairs. Hopefully Mom won't see me. I wasn't planning on telling her where I was going or what I was going to do. I slowly descended the stairs. When I reached the bottom, the last step creaked under my weight. I froze and tensed up. "Touko? What are you doing?" my mother said, arms crossed over her chest and her foot tapping impatiently.

"I-I-I decided to stay at N's. Who knows when he'll be back. I packed a bag to take over there so that I wouldn't have to keep running from his house to here every time I needed something. I'm gonna stay there until he comes back" I said shrugging. My mother glared at me. The tapping noise from her foot increased in tempo. I cringed. "I-I mean if th-that's alright with y-you." Mom stared at me a few more seconds before smiling.

"Why wouldn't that be okay with me? I think it's a great idea. I'm sure N would be delighted to see you when he comes home. You're the first person he would want to see anyway" mother explained cheerfully. I nodded my head in thanks.

"Bye Mom. Love you" I shouted before rushing out the door towards N's house. I would stay there for the night to make my cover story more convincing and leave bright and early in the morning. I _did_ want to hurry to N, but I didn't want my mother to get worried if I just suddenly left. I'd have to say goodbye to everyone too…in case something does happen while I'm gone. I'll do that now to pass the time. I walked to Cheren's house and knocked on the door. The door opened and revealed Cheren's mother. "Hi, is Cheren here?" I said while peering past the older woman and into the house.

"He's up in his room dear, but maybe you should wait becau-" Cheren's mother started, but I rushed past her and ran up to his room.

"Cheren, I-" I began but stopped mid-sentence once I entered Cheren's room. He froze. My face heated up, and I'm sure I was blushing like crazy as I spun around to look away from my friend. "I-I-I'm sorry. I should have knocked first" I blurted out. My eyes slowly drifted back to look at Cheren. His skin glistened under the light and only a towel covered his lower area.

"Uh, i-i-it's f-fine" Cheren mumbled. I heard him pull open a drawer on his dresser and rummage through it. I heard his towel hit the floor and him scramble to put on clothes. My face grew hotter by the second. What the heck did he think he was doing?! Why was he dressing while I was standing right in the room?! "You can turn around now." I slowly turned around on my heels. He was now wearing his usual attire of blue pants, a white dress shirt, and red tie. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to tell you goodbye" I said sadly. I lowered my gaze to the ground, the bill of my hat casting a shadow over my eyes, so they weren't visible.

"Goodbye? What do you mean?"

"I've decided to go save N. I am going to leave tomorrow morning. I don't know what's going to happen, but I wanted to say goodbye just in case."

"Are you crazy?!"

"A little" I said half-heartedly, trying to smile.

"This is no joke, Touko" Cheren growled.

"I'm sorry. I know that you won't approve what I'm doing, but there is nothing you can do to stop me."

"I know" Cheren sighed.

"What?!" I said in shock, my head shot up to look at his serious face.

"I won't try to stop you. I'll wish you good luck, even if you don't need it. Everything always goes your way" Cheren stated.

"Thank you!" I shouted before pulling Cheren in for a hug. He gently returned the gesture. I pulled away and pecked him on the cheek. "Don't tell anybody about this. Goodbye." I said before leaving. I went to Professor Juniper's next to say goodbye to her and Bianca, but they weren't there. I guess I won't be saying goodbye to them. My tired feet drug me to N's house, where I sat down on the couch. I would leave bright and early when the sun rose.

_In the morning…_

The trip to N's castle will probably take a few days. Probably even a week at the rate I'll be going. I'm gonna take my time to get there even when I should be hurrying. N would want me to rest and not push myself. I want to make N proud. I looked up in the sky where the colors of the sunrise blended together. I patted Zekrom's head, and we were off. "I'm coming N. I'll find you."

**A/N: I had a hard time writing this chapter so sorry if it sucks. Please review.**


	14. Attitude Adjustment

N's POV

"Welcome home, N."

"If this is the way you welcome someone home, then I'd hate to see how you tell them goodbye" I snarled at my _father_.

"My, my. N has gotten an attitude" Ghetsis said.

"Really? I hadn't noticed. I thought you would be proud. Now my attitude is just like yours. Merciless and inhuman" I growled.

"Shut your mouth, boy! If you are going to continue to stay here, then that attitude of yours is going to have to be the first thing to go" Ghetsis shouted, standing up from the throne he was sitting on. My old throne.

"So you're going to try to break me? Ha, just go ahead and try."

"It won't be that hard. I have an offer that I know you can't refuse. You can be a good boy, cooperate, and be our King again, or you can resist us and I'll kill your little girlfriend."

"You wouldn't dare!" I yelled.

"N, N, N, you have been gone a long time. You don't know what I'd do. You can either risk it by taking the chance or just give in. Do you really want to see if I _will_ kill that worthless girl?" I looked my father in the eye. He looked serious.

"No" I sighed. "I want her to be safe. Fine…I'll be your King again, but you have to promise to not go anywhere near Touko" I said.

"Touko. What a pretty name. I promise to stay away from her, but only if you follow orders" Ghetsis said back.

"Deal. Now, why do you want me to be King? I thought you would put me in a lower position or lock me away as a prisoner first."

"What a very good question? The years that you have been gone have made you wise. But since you ask, I want you as King again because I see you have become wiser and your attitude is perfect to rule."

"No" I snapped. "I want the _full_ truth."

"What did I tell you? You are smarter. Fine. I want you as King because Team Plasma is slowly falling apart. I have been having a hard time keeping the grunts in order. They _miss_ you and want _you_ as King again. Also, I need someone with your unique _ability_ to convince people and Pokémon to liberate."

"Oh I see. You are having a hard time keeping your own team in line. Nobody is listening to you anymore. You need me to speak for you" I summarized.

"Keep talking like that and_ Touko _won't live to see the next sunrise" Ghetsis threatened. I growled.

"I'm sorry for being so rude, Sage Ghetsis" I said through clenched teeth.

"Get down on your knees" Ghetsis ordered.

"Never. Besides, I am your King. You can't order me to do anything. I'm the one who gives you orders now" I shouted bravely. Ghetsis gave me a wicked smile.

"Good boy" Ghetsis complimented.

"I am not _your_ boy." Ghetsis smiled again. He clapped his hands and two female servants came in. They were both dressed in maid outfits.

"Please take _King _N to his room and get him dressed and his wounds treated" Ghetsis said. The servants nodded. "Oh, and do anything he tells you. He is your King. Now go." The servants nodded again with a bow.

"Yes, Lord Ghetsis" the two young girls said in unison. I followed the two girls who looked about my age to my room with all my old toys in it. Nothing was out of place, but the room looked like it was kept clean. I did notice one difference, however. I saw a door on the right wall. The two girls led me to the door and opened it up. Inside was a large four-post bed with a canopy, a door to a closet, an attached bathroom, TV, and a few other things.

"This will be your sleeping quarters" the blonde servant girl said.

"Thank you…what is your name?" I questioned.

"I am Rosaline" the blonde said. "And this is Eve."

"Let us help you get dressed" the brunette servant, Eve, said. I would dress by myself but I knew that if I told the girls no then they would think they upset me or did something wrong.

"Very well" I sighed out. I sat down on the edge of the king sized bed as one girl unbuttoned my white dress shirt and another took off my hat and shoes. Soon I was down to nothing but my boxers.

"Please go take a shower, King N. We will have your wardrobe ready as soon as you are done" Rosaline said. "Unless you would like us to join you." I froze and turned a deep shade of red. I slowly shook my head.

"No, thank you. I'm afraid I will not be needing_ that kind _of service from you" I said, declining the offer. Both girls looked sort of relieved once I said that. "Besides, I already have a girlfriend." I walked into the shower and removed my boxers. I tried to be as quick as possible with my broken ribs. I hopped out of the shower and quickly dried myself. I put my boxers back on and went into the bedroom. Eve was standing beside the bed with her hands folded delicately in front of her. Rosaline was coming back into the bedroom with a small white box.

"Please step over here and lift your arms up" Rosaline stated. I walked over to her. She dabbed a wet cotton ball on my face where it was scratched up from the stairs. It smelled like alcohol and burned like fire. Next, she gently felt for my broken ribs and tried to set them back into place. She did her best as I silently screamed through a towel that she put between my teeth. Lastly, she wrapped my chest up in bandages and gauze. Once Rosaline was finished, she packed all of the medical supplies back up in the white box and left. I looked at Eve, and she beckoned me over. I slowly walked up to her. Eve made me uncomfortable. She looked stunningly similar to Touko. They both had long brown hair, blues eyes, and the same shaped body. The differences were that Eve was shorter, sort of shy, and didn't have the same shaped face.

"I will help you get dressed now" Eve said. She helped me into an outfit that was exactly the same as my old one but without my hat and instead of sneakers, she gave me white boots. The next thing I knew, Rosaline walked back in the room carrying my crown and robe. She laid them on the bed and stood beside Eve. Fear and anger crept into my mind. Where did she get those? Did Ghetsis break his promise and go into my house and hurt Touko?

"Where did you get those?" I said angrily. The girls looked shocked at my change of attitude.

"Ummm…a grunt. He said that he got them from inside your house as a mad woman was slashing at people with a knife outside" Rosaline said unsurely like she was afraid she was going to get in trouble by her answer. I sighed out in relief.

"Thank goodness. They took it while they captured me and not recently" I whispered to myself.

"What was that King N?" Eve asked.

"Nothing. I am sorry. You may both relieve yourselves now" I said. Both girls looked at each other questionably and stood where they were unmoving. They looked at me with curiosity shining in their eyes. "Yes?"

"May we have permission to ask you a question?" Rosaline squeaked out, bowing down.

"You may" I said. I was actually curious to know what they wanted to ask.

"You mentioned a girlfriend before, yes?" Eve asked.

"Yes" I confirmed.

"What is her name?" Rosaline asked.

"Oh, ummmm…Touko" I said embarrassed. I rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly. I felt a little nervous talking about my love life with two people I just met.

"What a beautiful name!" Eve praised. "May I ask another question?"

"As many as you want" I said.

"What does she look like?" Eve asked.

"Oh well she looks almost exactly like you. Except the shape of your face is different than hers and she is a loud mouth. She does almost anything she wants to and can be very competitive."

"Do you love her?"

"With all my heart. I wouldn't be able to live without her. It hurts to be here right now but knowing that she is safe keeps me sane."

"Awww" the two girls cooed.

"Now may I ask you a question?" I asked the girls. They titled their heads in question.

"Of course! You do not need to ask for our permission. The King may ask us anything he wants to."

"Of course. Anyway, where are Anthea and Concordia?" I questioned. They cast glances at each other before speaking.

"We haven't worked here for very long, but we have heard of their highnesses. Seven years ago, one year after you left I believe, they just vanished and were never heard or seen of again. You see they became the queens of Team Plasma. That is, they were until they disappeared. Rumor has it that they ran away in the middle of the night and never returned. A few guards said that they witnessed the whole thing. However, that is all we know" Rosaline explained.

"Thank you for answering my question. You may go" I acknowledged. They smiled at each other before bowing and leaving the room. That conversation ended as quickly as it started. I looked around the room. There were no windows or anything, just the furniture, lights, and me. My eyes landed on the crown and robe. I grabbed the robe and draped it over my shoulders and clasped the clasp together at my throat. The robe hung down and covered my arms. I grabbed the crown and placed it atop my head. There was a mirror attached to the closet door, so I went up to it and inspected myself. It felt like I never left. I sighed and walked out of my bedroom and into my room filled with toys. I scanned the area then walked out the door and down the hall towards the throne room. Ghetsis will probably still be there but who cares. The two guards from earlier saw me and straightened their backs as they saluted.

"No need for formalities" I said to the female guard. "Except for you. I want you to be the most respectful person in this whole castle" I directed towards the male guard. He gulped and kept saluting. They each grabbed a door handle and swung the doors open while I walked into the room.

"How nice of you to join me, N. I wasn't expecting you to get back into the swing of things so quickly. I expected you to stay in your room for at least the rest of the day" Ghetsis said in shock.

"I will never be able to get back into the swing of things. I'm only doing this for Touko" I said calmly.

"Right, right. Why don't you take a seat?" Ghetsis said, patting the velvet cushion of my old throne. I walked up to the large chair and sat down. Ghetsis moved and sat to my right in a smaller throne. "Since you are here, why don't we get right down to business? I would like to call a meeting that all of the Team Plasma members will attend. We're starting off with something simple. We will inform them about your status as King and then ask questions or concerns about Team Plasma."

"Very well" I said. I clapped my hands three times and the three members of the Shadow Triad appeared out of nowhere. At least that didn't change. "I want all Team Plasma members in this room immediately. Inform them or bring them by force if necessary." The three members nodded and vanished.

"I see that you don't go soft on people anymore."

"How would you know? I haven't been given a reason to go soft on someone yet."

"Yes, but I haven't been given a reason to believe you will. You have been everything but happy, forgiving, and sympathetic."

"Well, we'll just have to see what happens during the meeting." Ghetsis and I were silent after that. The only noise that was heard was the sound of the doors opening and feet shuffling into the room every once in a while. After half an hour, the Shadow Triad appeared in front of me and bowed. I knew that was the signal that they finished their mission. They disappeared a second later. The whole crowd of people kept glancing at me and whispering to each other. Ghetsis raised a hand above his head to signal for silence.

"Members of Team Plasma, I hereby announce that our long lost N has returned. He will again serve as our King, and we will honor and respect him" Ghetsis shouted. Everyone was silent for a second before erupting into applause.

"Long live King N" groups of people shouted. I raised my hand to signal for silence.

"Thank you. It is a pleasure to see a few familiar faces and new ones too. I hope to live up to some of your expectations or rule the way I did before to please familiar and new members. Sage Ghetsis and I will now be answering questions or looking into any concerns you have about the Team" I announced. A few brave souls raised their hands. Most of them were people that have been in Team Plasma since I was here. There were a few newbies though. I scanned the room and my eyes landed on the guy that beat me up in the helicopter and led me to Ghetsis. I smirked. He tensed up under my gaze. "You" I said, pointing to the guy. He lowered his hand and moved up to the front of the room. "What do you need?"

"I-I-I would l-like to say that m-m-my team and I don't think that w-we get enough t-time to eat. We wanted to request a longer l-lunch break." I leered at him. I glanced at my father. He looked at me and shrugged indicating that I could do as I pleased with the guy. "Denied. You and your Team are fired. Get out of this room and castle and don't ever come back." The guy fell to his knees.

"Please, don't fire me. I can't get a job anywhere else. I'm a wanted criminal."

"I told you to get out" I roared. He jumped to his feet and ran out the door. My father stared at me in shock. He probably wasn't expecting me to do and say that. I looked back to the crowd. I noticed a few hands fall back to their sides. I must have scared a few people into not speaking. Maybe I should get revenge after talking to some people I don't know. The next person I called on was a kid that looked like a teenager. When did we start recruiting people so young? "You." The kid walked up to me and put on a brave face.

"I was wondering if I could be granted lodging in the castle in the Workers Wing. You see, I don't really have a home, and I thought it would be nice to have somewhere to stay" the teenager asked.

"Granted" I said without a second thought. This kid was pretty young and when I got kicked out, I didn't have anywhere to go either until Touko helped me out. The least I could do was do the same for someone else.

"Really? Thank you King N" the boy bowed down.

"Rise. Stay here after the meeting and I will have someone show you to a free room." The boy bowed again and walked back into the crowd. I kept answering questions and getting concerns until there were only two people left that had their hands raised…the two guards of the throne room. I looked at the man and woman and gestured for them to come up in front of everyone.

"You," I said pointing to the male, "are fired."

"But-" the guard started. "Why?"

"I don't like you. Out!" I ordered. "And you," I said to the girl, who flinched at the thought of facing the same fate as her partner, "are being promoted." The girl looked up at me in surprise. "You have been here since I was a teenager. You deserve to get a raise and more benefits. From now on, you are a field agent."

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" the guard squealed. I was happy for her. She was probably only four years older than me. She needs to get out on the field before her age starts to affect her. "Thank you!" she squealed one last time before rushing up to me and giving me a hug. I was surprised as her arms wrapped around me in a tight squeeze. Everyone gasped at her action of touching royalty. I froze under her touch until I lightly hugged her back. She pulled back and smiled at me with tears in her eyes.

"You deserved it." She let me go and merged back into the crowd like nothing happened. Eyes followed her everywhere. "The meeting is dismissed." People dispersed and the room was soon empty after all the people that stayed behind were attended to.

"I never thought that you would fire anyone. You really have changed. But for the better."

"No, they deserved what they got. Besides, maybe now you won't think I'm a heartless freak with no friends. Getting a hug just proves that I am likeable, and that they all prefer me over you" I said before getting up. I turned towards the door, and with a swish of my robe, I was gone and headed back to my room.

**A/N: Being in the castle and with Team Plasma immediately affects N. Did you notice how he instantly gets guts and starts being a little harsh? Yeah, well that's what happens when you are taken back to the place that ruined your life. Oh, and the next chapter will possibly be N's POV instead of Touko's. **


	15. Smitten

N's POV

"Hello, King N" Rosaline and Eve greeted as I walked into my bedroom.

"Ummm….hi. What are you doing in my room?" I awkwardly asked. They both blinked in surprise to my question.

"We were instructed to stay with you and serve you, no matter the request. We are your personal maids and do not listen to anyone but you now" Rosaline said.

"Who gave you that order?" I questioned.

"Lord Ghetsis" Eve answered.

"I see. Well then, I instruct you to not stay here. You will sleep in the playroom. Any other time you will wait in the playroom until I need assistance or have a request. Do you understand?"

"Yes, but where will we sleep?" Eve said.

"Actually, I will have a new room built and connected to the playroom. The door will be on the left wall as mine is on the right."

"Yes sir. Until it is built, where will we sleep?" Rosaline said.

"Hmmm…I suppose you may sleep here for the night. I don't want you to have to walk all the way to the other end of the castle and back in the morning." Both girls glanced at each other fearfully. "What is wrong?"

"N-N-Nothing. D-Does that mean you will be n-n-needing s-special services t-t-tonight?" Eve stuttered. I looked at them in confusion.

"Huh?"

"We want to know if you will be wanting us to give you love tonight?" Rosaline clarified, not looking in my direction. I stood there in shock with my mouth open and gaping like a fish.

"I told you that I won't be needing that kind of service from you two. I _have_ a _girlfriend_."

"Right! We are sorry. It is just confusing. Lord Ghetsis says to do one thing and you say to do another" Rosaline huffed in frustration.

"Sage Ghetsis is of lower authority. So what _I_ say goes" I said darkly. Both girls bowed frantically.

"Understood. Understood. Understood" they repeatedly chanted.

"Whoa, calm down. I didn't mean to sound so mean. Will you please just stop bowing like I'm all high and mighty" I said uncomfortably, waving my hands around. They stopped.

"Oh but you are all high and mighty, King N" Eve said smiling. I blushed. Wait, why did I blush? Oh no.

"No I'm not. Also, I have another request for you. When you are around me, just be yourselves. Don't praise me all the time and all that jazz. Just be yourselves. If I want to wear an ugly outfit and you don't like it but I love it, tell me that it's ugly. Don't compliment me and tell me I have a sense of fashion. Okay?"

"Okay" both maids said. They both gave me a toothy grin. I couldn't stop staring at Eve. Her smile lights up the whole room like Touko's. Stop it, N! You are just a little sleep deprived and miss Touko a lot. Don't think about Eve. So what if she looks like your girlfriend? She doesn't have the same personality.

"Why don't you go inform the architects in the Workers Wing about building your room? I'll stay here for a while and take a nap. I lost some sleep this morning when I was rudely interrupted."

"Okay" Rosaline and Eve said at the same time before rushing out of the room.

"Finally some peace and quiet. I hate this place. You never get alone time and there is always someone with you, but I guess that's what I get for escaping my father's radar after he kicked me out" I sighed out. I walked over to the edge of the bed and sat down. My body ached all over. It needed a nice long rest. I removed my white boots and lay down on the bed. My head hit the fluffy pillow, and I fell asleep immediately.

_One hour later…_

**Knock. Knock. Knock**_. _I groaned and rolled onto my side. **Knock. Knock. Knock. **"Who is it?" I said, clearly showing my annoyance.

"It's Rosaline and Eve" a female voice called out.

"You may enter" I yelled. The door slowly opened and both servant girls walked into the room. I sat up and stretched. "How long was I asleep?"

"About an hour" Eve said thoughtfully.

"Did you need something?" I asked.

"We just wanted to tell you that the architects are going to immediately work on our room, and it should be done by tomorrow night" Rosaline said cheerily.

"That's great" I stated. My stomach growled immediately after. I sheepishly rubbed the back of my neck. "Could you get me some lunch, Rosaline? It doesn't matter what it is. As long as it is food."

"Yes sir" Rosaline shouted then left the room.

"So" I said awkwardly.

"So" Eve said quietly. She had her arms folded in front of her as she stared at the ground and toed the carpet floor with her black shoes. She studied the floor with a light blush on her cheeks. I could tell she had her tongue pressed against the inside of one her cheeks because one cheek was puffed out a little more than the other. She was making a cute face.

"You look really pretty" I blurted out without thinking. Eve froze and slowly looked up at me. As soon as her eyes met mine, I froze too.

"I-I-I'm so sorry. It's just. You really do remind me of my girlfriend, and I wasn't thinking straight." She gave me a soft smile.

"It's okay" she said. I gave her a weak smile before letting my head fall in my hands. I started to weep. I really missed Touko. Seeing her cry and then hearing her scream was not the last way I wanted to remember her. Eve gasped and scurried to my side.

"What's wrong?" Eve frantically asked. She sounded so much like Touko.

"N-N-Nothing. Please go away for now" I cried.

"No…I want to help" Eve said soothingly. When she said those words, I lost it. Probably because Touko said that too at the Pokémon League. I grabbed Eve by the shoulders and flipped her onto the bed. I was on top of her. My hands were on either side of her head as I stared down at the brunette. Eve was shaking like a leaf, but I didn't notice.

"K-K-King N" Eve said fearfully as she squirmed underneath me, using her hands to try to push me off. I slowly leaned down towards the girl's face. Our lips were centimeters apart. Just as I was about to kiss the maid, my eyes flickered to hers. Her eyes were filled with fear and not the love-filled look I was used to. They were not Touko's eyes. I quickly jumped off Eve and strode to the other side of the room.

"I-I-I'm really sorry again. It's just, I really miss my girlfriend and what you said was something she said too. It was just an impulse; I swear. I-I—"

"Don't worry about it" Eve said, her voice wavering. She must be a little shook up. "I can tell that you wouldn't have done anything. You sound like you love your girlfriend too much to betray her. Besides, I know you wish she were here and that you can't bring her here, or Lord Ghetsis will kill her. I don't blame you for getting confused. The heart and mind makes people do crazy things."

"Y-Yeah" I agreed even though I don't know if I wouldn't have done something or not. My hormones have been crazy for a while now. I sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed as Eve sat on the small couch against the one wall. Rosaline walked into the room with a silver tray.

"I brought your food, King N. You said you didn't care what you got, so I just got you a salad. It was the quickest thing I could think of to make" Rosaline said, studying the salad like it wasn't good enough.

"Thank you. It looks delicious" I complimented. Rosaline blushed at the praise.

"Is there anything else you need, King N?" Eve asked, jumping to her feet to stand beside her friend.

"No that is all. Please feel free to do whatever you want to now. I won't be needing you for the rest of the day."

"Are you sure?" Eve questioned.

"Positive. Now run along. Two young women like you shouldn't be serving people all day. Go have some fun in the staff pool or shopping center. I'll be fine. I can take care of myself. I have been taking care of myself for the past eight years."

"Of course. We'll just have to get use to the idea of you not being a spoiled rich perverted king. You're more like the sweet respectful ones."

"Ummm…thanks. But I really don't deserve that compliment. I fired all the people I hate and beat some of them up and…" I trailed off.

"So nothing. Anyway, thanks for everything. See you tonight" Rosaline said.

"Yeah. See you tonight." Both girls walked out of the room with a little bounce in their step. They must be really happy to get the day off. I wish I could get the day off, but a king is always busy. There is no time for fun. I nodded to myself like I was giving myself approval for what I just thought. I have to work hard and be the best king ever. I have to do my best…for Touko. I will protect her no matter what even if she doesn't know it. I stood up and with my new found determination and I marched out of the room and down the hall. I needed to get some real work done. I walked down two or three hallways before reaching a large gold door. It had the Team Plasma insignia carved right in the middle. I opened the door and walked inside of the room the gold door led to. The room was an office. It was full of papers for the king or sages to fill out. I smiled to myself at the old memories that came with this room. They were all horrible and stress filled just like most of them here were. "Arceus, I hate this place" I mumbled to myself with a wide smile, a smile of self-pity.

"Who are you?" a female voice said. I spun around to see a woman standing in front of a bookshelf. She was looking like she stopped midway from putting a book back in its slot. She looked about twenty five years old. She had short navy blue hair with striking dark gray eyes. Her outfit consisted of a navy blue mini skirt, white blouse, navy blue blazer, knee high socks, and flat dark blue dress shoes. What was she? A school girl?

"I am King N. And who are you?"

"Oh so you're this new king that everyone's talking about. Well, I guess you would actually be an old king returning to his palace but that is if we go into details. By the way, my name is Prescott. Weird first name, right?" Prescott laughed.

"Yeah. Anyway, what are you doing here? What is your level of authority in Team Plasma?"

"I was just getting a book to read. The library doesn't have any good old books. This place has some of the best ones. I come in here all the time so don't freak out. Even if I do sneak in without permission" Prescott said under her breath.

"So you sneak in here, huh?" I said. "That still did not answer my second question. What level of authority are you? Grunt? Maid? Sage? And what level of experience?" There are three different levels of experience for each position. Level One means that the member has been with Team Plasma for years, is a professional at what they do, and is trustworthy. Level Two means that the person is an average everyday person. Not great at what they do but still loyal and does what they can. Lastly, Level Three means that the person is either a rookie or they have just been hired and need more training.

"I'm the daughter of one of the Level One maids. My mother is actually Lord Ghetsis' maid. My father is a Level One grunt. I'm not actually a member of Team Plasma. I just live here with my mother and father. I've been here since I can remember, but my dream is to go out and see the world. Mother and father keep me locked up in the castle. I am not allowed to go outside" Prescott said distantly. She looked at me from the corner of her eyes. "Oh my, I didn't mean to start to tell you my life story. It just sort of came out you know."

"I see, but no matter who you are the daughter of, you cannot be in this office/study. Only Sages or I are allowed in this room. Do you understand?"

"Sure. Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Can I just come in for some books every once and awhile?" Prescott said while studying her nails. She glanced up at me and batted her eyelashes. I could tell she was trying to make herself look sexy and be seductive, but I would never fall for that trick.

"No" I said sternly. Prescott glanced up at me in shock.

"What?!"

"You heard me. Now get out. I have work to attend to."

"Fine. I will not forgive you. I will find your room and hunt you down. You will receive the ultimate punishment, my dear fiancé" Prescott threatened but not in a threatening way, more seductively than anything.

"Fiancé?!" I shouted out in confusion. Prescott winked at me then blew a kiss in my direction. I could feel it burn a hole through my cheek, even if it wasn't real.

"You are pretty sexy. I'm glad your father didn't set me up with someone unattractive. You seem sort of sweet too. If you didn't seem like you wanted to rip my head off, cry, and faint at the same time, we might have already gone out on a date and done something fun. See you later…N." Prescott walked out the door and left.

"Fiancé? What did she mean by that? Did she say my father set this up? I'm going to kill him. Wait, does that mean I'm going to have her as my queen to rule by my side? Nobody said that becoming King meant that I had to get married. I'm in big trouble" I thought to myself out loud.

**A/N: Cliffhanger. Sort of. Anyway. Please review. I hope you are enjoying the story so far. I think that the next chapter will be N again. I don't know what to write about for Touko yet. But then again, she isn't going to be doing much until the end of the story. The parts that are happening now have a spotlight on N. And if things are rushing, sorry. I tend to do that.**


	16. Monster

N's POV

_The next day…_

My eyes were wide open as I stared up at the white ceiling of my bedroom from down here on the couch. My eyes burned, for I hadn't blinked in what seems like forever. They are probably blood shot. I didn't get one wink of sleep last night because all I could think about was Prescott, my fiancée. I groaned as I sat up. Eve and Rosaline lay unmoving under the covers of my bed. It was fairly early in the morning, so they weren't up yet. It was probably around 5 o' clock AM. I proceeded to the bathroom. I flicked on the light switch and went to go stand in front of the mirror. I was right. My eyes were red, and there were dark circles under my eyes. My tea green hair was sticking up in different directions, and I had a long frown on my face. I sighed. I look like a pathetic guy that just got dumped. My feet slowly dragged me out of the bathroom and back to the couch. Before I could lie back down, a scream emitted from the direction of the bed. "What?!" I shouted in panic.

"Rosaline. Rosaline. Wake up! There's a monster in the room! Wake up!" the voice of Eve harshly whispered to a moaning lump in the bed. Eve started to shake the lump violently.

"King N. Where are you? I can't see in this darkness. You need to get out of here. I saw a monster. It looked tall and it had long fur, and it had reddish white eyes. You need to run" Eve said quickly. I could see pretty clearly since I had already been staring at the ceiling all night in the dark. I scanned the room. Nothing was out of the ordinary. I stared at the silhouette of Eve then realization hit me.

"Are you making fun of me?" I asked.

"What?! Never. I swear I saw a monster. You need to run and hide."

"Are you sure you aren't making fun of me?" I asked a little more playfully.

"I'm sure but you need to—"

"Don't worry. What you saw was just me. I just left the bathroom a little bit ago, and I look awful. I didn't get an ounce of sleep last night. There was too much on my mind."

"Are you sure it was you?" Eve questioned me cautiously.

"Positive."

"Thank Arceus. I thought I was going crazy."

"You might be. I mean you did just think that I was a monster" I said softly. Eve giggled.

"Yeah. You're right. Anyway, what are doing up? You need to get some sleep. Team Plasma doesn't want their king to pass out on them."

"I guess. I'll try my best. I just have some things on my mind right now. Thanks for your concern. Touko would have said the same thing" I stated miserably.

"Oh yeah…no problem" Eve said awkwardly.

"Good night. Wait, I mean good morning." I could see Eve smile a little.

"Good morning" Eve said before pulling the covers up to her chin and curling up into a ball. I sighed. My body and brain both knew that I wasn't going to sleep anytime soon. There were too many things to think about. I rolled onto my side, making the couch make a weird noise in the process. I closed my eyes for a little rest and waited. Once I heard Eve's breathing even out and become softer, I got off the couch and left the room. Maybe a little walk would clear my head. As I walked down a hallway, I hummed a little tune to myself. Touko used to always hum it when she was little. I didn't have a specific place in mind to walk to, so I let my feet carry me wherever. After about ten minutes, I stopped in front of a pair of large double doors. I was at the throne room. I looked around. Nobody was in sight. I opened the doors and stepped into the large room. I strolled around and examined every detail of the place with my arms behind my back. I checked for hidden cameras, places where people could hide, and looked for secret compartments. Who knows what I could find after all these years? I completely examined the room to find nothing but one extra camera than last time.

"Sheesh, I would have thought that Ghetsis would have gotten higher security after he kicked me out and then I ran away" I muttered to myself. Oh well, this just makes my escape easier. My feet were getting tired, so I decided to rest. I plopped down in my throne and relaxed back into the cushions. I stared straight ahead into the darkness. Memories of being controlled, abused, and murdered by my father flashed before my eyes. Technically, he didn't murder me, but he might as well have. He crushed my soul and mind. I used to be nothing until I met Touko. I frowned as my eyelids finally started to feel like lead. I should head back to my bedroom, but I probably won't make it. Oh well. Hopefully, I wake up before anyone shows up.

_Three hours later…_

"Wake up, sleepy head" a feminine voice said. I groaned and aimlessly swatted at the hand that was shaking my arm.

"Touko, I love you but can't we just wait ten more minutes. I'm tired" I mumbled to the voice. I wanted to stay in dream world where everyone was at peace.

"Touko? Who's Touko?" the voice said a little more angrily.

"I'm not in the mood for games, Touko. If you want to get up so bad, then go make breakfast and call me down when it's done. I want waffles. That's your specialty" I mumbled a little louder, trying to show my annoyance.

"Tell me right now!" I heard the voice scream then it sound like the owner stamped her foot. "Who…is…Touko?!" I jumped out of my seat on the throne and tumbled down the small staircase until I was heap on the floor. I was sprawled out on the ground. I was really angry. Why was Touko so cranky this morning? I rubbed the back of my head and groaned out in pain.

"Touko, what is your—?" I started then I opened my eyes and glared at…Prescott? "P-P-Prescott?" I squeaked in surprise.

"Yeah it's me Prescott, now tell me who Touko is?" the blue haired girl asked angrily. One hand was on her hip, and the other was pointing at finger at me, almost touching my nose with it.

"No one, just a friend I met while I was away. She's like my little sister" I lied. I could tell just by looking at Prescott that she was obsessive and would hunt down and kill Touko if she could. I mean, unless Touko doesn't kill her first. I felt so relieved that she didn't know about Touko already.

"Really? Is she pretty? How old is she? Where did you two meet?" Prescott asked, firing question after question at me.

"Ummm…I think she's cute. She is sixteen. And we meet in the middle of the woods when she was eight and wanted to play house with me" I recalled quickly.

"I guess she could be like a little sister" Prescott said in thought, tapping her chin with her index finger. Thank Arceus, she believes the story.

"Yeah, she's like family."

"Are you telling me the truth?" Prescott asked a little suspiciously.

"Why wouldn't I be telling the truth? I can't lie to my future wife" I said calmly. Technically, I don't lie anymore to my future wife, which would be Touko, hopefully. Prescott is more like an enemy at the moment.

"Wow, where did the guy I meet last night go? You are definitely not him. He was sort of mean. It doesn't matter I guess, as long as you're loyal to me. Promise me not to touch or think about another woman in an inappropriate way? You can only touch me" Prescott said possessively. I shivered.

"Ummm…no. See the advantages to being king are that I don't have to listen to you or promise you anything. Besides, being king also gets me all the girls I want. Didn't you know that my maids Eve and Rosaline are ordered to make me happy? I must say they are quite good at it" I said smugly. Prescott's jaw dropped. Ha! She thinks I slept with them.

"Why you unfaithful little—"

"Go ahead, say it. Say it and I can banish you from this castle, never to see me or your parents again." Prescott's clenched and unclenched her fists and gritted her teeth.

"I'm so sorry. I'm just a little upset that you don't love me the way I love you" Prescott said through grit teeth. A little angry and she loves me? She lies. She only wants my money, power, and pleasure I could give her. She'll be waiting a long time for those things. I can't wait until she does or says something wrong, so I can give my dear fiancée the boot.

"I forgive you. I mean, I do think your pretty and I'm going to marry you, so I might as well try to like you." Prescott relaxed a little and put her hands on her hips.

"Of course you do. Now get your lazy butt to work. What kind of king are you? You're not supposed to be sleeping in the throne room and making yourself and I look bad."

"Huh? You?"

"I am your fiancée. What happens to you also affects me. Anyway, let's go. We have to go see your father."

"He's not my father" I growled.

"Whatever you say" Prescott said unconvinced. She grabbed my hand and yanked me up from off the ground. She intertwined are hands and led the way out the room. Her hand felt cold, so I tried to yank mine away from hers. "Stop it! Ghetsis has to think we're getting along." I sighed. I hate that man. I bitterly let Prescott lead me to go see Ghetsis, wherever he may be. She led me down about a hundred different hallways until we can to a stop in front of a door. I recognized the door. It was a study for Ghetsis to relax in. He rarely ever let me come in the room when I was younger unless what he or I needed was important. Prescott gently knocked on the door three times and stepped back to stand by my side.

"What are we—?"

"Ssshh, be quite" Prescott shushed. I growled, how dare she tell _me _the_ king_ to be quite? She will pay for that. Mess with the king and you feel his wrath and power. She will regret acting like she is on the same level as me. As I glared at the blue haired girl, a voice came from inside the study.

"You may enter" the voice said. Prescott opened the door, walked into the room, got on her knees, and bowed to the Head Sage, Ghetsis. How come that little witch bows down to a Sage but not her King? I followed after her, shut the door, and stood by her side. I was so happy I didn't have to bow to that horrid man.

"Rise, child" Ghetsis said to Prescott. Prescott glanced up at Ghetsis then to me. So now she is trying to show me respect in front of Ghetsis. Well I know I'm enjoying it.

"Rise" I said also. She got onto her feet and faced Ghetsis. "You wanted to see us, Lord Ghetsis?"

"Why certainly" Ghetsis said cheerfully.

"What did you need that honors me with your presence,_ father_?" I asked through grit teeth.

""I wanted to talk to you two about your wedding. I think it is time we choose a date, yes?"

"Father, you know I do not wish to marry someone yet. I know you know exactly the reason why" I whined, instead of yelled. If I let my anger get the best of me, then Ghetsis would surely hurt Touko. I had to keep myself in line.

"King N, you may be of a higher position but I am still your father. You shouldn't argue with me" Ghetsis said threateningly. Prescott huffed and placed her hands on her hips like earlier.

"Please enlighten me N, what is this reason that you have to not marry me? I am the best damn thing that is ever going to happen to you" Prescott questioned. I tapped my index finger on my chin in thought.

"I wouldn't say that you come in at the best thing that happened to me. I would say you at most are the twentieth best thing that happened to me. No, make that twenty one." Prescott looked at me in horror before screeching. "Sorry but I've had at least twenty things happen to me that are way better then you." Prescott screeched some more before walking up to me and slapping me hard across the face. My head roughly jerked to the left. I stared off towards the wall with my mouth slightly open in shock and my eyes wide. I didn't expect her to do something like that. The whole room was silent except for Prescott's heavy breathing from anger. I slowly turned my head towards her and Ghetsis. Ghetsis's mouth was agape in shock too. Prescott's hand was still in the air. My eyes locked onto hers. I slowly lifted my hand up to my stinging cheek and gasped at the pain I felt once my hand came in contact to the sensitive skin. My eyes flared with fire. Prescott looked like she regretted slapping me the moment our eyes met.

"HOW DARE YOU STRIKE ME, THE _KING_! I'VE HAD IT WITH YOU! I DON'T CARE THAT I'VE ONLY KNOWN YOU FOR A SHORT WHILE! YOU ARE TO NEVER TOUCH OR SPEAK TO ME AGAIN WITHOUT MY PERMISSION!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. Prescott stood in front of me shaking in fear, tears welling up in her eyes. She nodded. I felt no regret or sympathy. Payback is a bitch. I glared at Ghetsis. He eyed me suspiciously but smirked. "Now about the wedding, it will be in one month" I said angrily. I might as well just say that and not argue with Ghetsis. I don't feel like dealing with him at the moment. Ghetsis grunted in agreement, and I left. I stood outside the door with my arms crossed waiting for Prescott. I heard her and Ghetsis exchange a few words before she quietly came out of the study and stood beside me with her arms clasped together in front of her. "Let's get moving" I angrily stated. I quickly strode down the corridors and back to my room. Prescott quietly followed behind me the whole way. We went into my room.

"Permission to speak?" Prescott said quietly.

"Permission granted." I went into my walk in closet and got out my clothes for the day.

"I'm sorry" Prescott squeaked. "I've never had someone to really talk to and be friends with. Everyone here is younger or older. All the people my age are outside the castle on assignment. I guess I just didn't know how to talk and act around you. It has been really lonely around here. I was actually really glad to meet you. I was excited to become engaged to you too. I finally felt like I could be friends with someone and fall in love. I just approached this relationship the wrong way. Being mean and dressing sexy isn't who I really am. I swear. I hope you can forgive me and give me a second chance, King N" Prescott said softly, tears rolling down her cheeks. I sighed.

"Stay here. I'll be back out after I get a shower. Make yourself comfortable. I'll think about what you said." I left Prescott sitting on the bed crying. The shower took about five minutes before I stepped out to get dressed. My whole body was glistening with water. I grabbed a towel and dried off, applied new bandages, then put on my clothes, crown, and robe. No noise came from the bedroom as I stepped into the room. "Prescott?" I called out softly. "Prescott?" No answer. I examined the room. Finally, I spotted her petite body lying on the bed asleep. She started shivering. My eyes softened at the sight. I grabbed the covers at the bottom of the bed and covered her body. "Sweet dreams" I said softly before kissing her on the temple.

_Two hours later…_

"Promise me that you won't tell Prescott that I have a girlfriend currently. Especially don't tell her it is Touko. I don't want her to feel sad. Promise me?"

"We promise, King N. Our lips are sealed" Rosaline and Eve said along with the two guards in the room. They were both new male recruits.

"Good, now would you go wake Prescott up? She shouldn't sleep through the day, and I have something to tell her."

"Of course" Rosaline said, bowing down to me. Eve and Rosaline walked out of the room in step with each other. A few minutes later, the three women walked back into the room. Prescott's hair was sticking up in different directions. She made a fist, rubbed her eyes, raised an arm in the air, stretched, and yawned. She must have really been tired.

"I'm glad to see you're awake" I chuckled. Prescott looked up at me in alarm and frantically looked around the room to see where she was. Once she noticed she was in the throne room, she quickly bowed down to me.

"Hello, King N" Prescott said.

"Rise" I instructed. Prescott stood up straight and looked at me. "How are you feeling?"

"Oh ummmm…better. I'm sorry if I caused you any trouble or worried you earlier" Prescott said quietly.

"No worries. I thought long and hard about what you said."

"You have?"

"Indeed" I said. "I am willing to give you that second chance you wanted. I figure you can prove yourself worthy of my hand in marriage this time around." Eve and Rosaline gasped at the revelation that I was getting married to someone besides possibly Touko.

"King, N" they both said in shock and sympathy. I looked at them and gave them a weak smile. Tears gathered in my eyes. I _did_ think long and hard about getting married to Prescott as she slept. I thought about how it was the best decision for now. It was the only way that I could protect Touko from my father. I had to put all my devotion and loyalty into Team Plasma to gain Ghetsis's trust. Once he thinks I will never leave again, I know Touko will be safe. I looked out the window to my right and stared at the sun high in the sky.

"Rosaline and Eve, please do anything Prescott wants. She is going to be my future wife."

"Milady" Rosaline and Eve said while bowing to Prescott quickly.

"I'm sorry Touko. I will always love you" I whispered so that I could only hear the faint words.

**A/N: This chapter was long. Anyway, questions anyone? Yes? No? Drop a review. The next chapter will probably have N and Touko's POV. Mostly N but the beginning will be Touko.**


	17. The Help

Touko's POV

I knew getting to the Team Plasma castle would take a few days, but now it's gonna take forever. Why do these creeps keep following me? And how are they finding me? "Because you're flying on a gigantic legendary dragon, you idiot" I mumbled under my breath. I hate myself. I continued shouting commands to Zekrom as we swerved from side to side. Team Plasma grunts came at me from every direction on their flying types, trying to land a hit on my dragon. These idiots will never cause enough damage to bring Zekrom down. He's too powerful. "Are you guys idiots or something?" I shouted over the loud roaring of the air flowing past me.

"Surrender to Team Plasma and give up your futile attempt to capture King N if you do not wish to get hurt" someone said…from a helicopter…with guns. Yikes! How do I get myself into these situations?

"Zekrom, get us out of here. We need to find somewhere to land. I think it would be better to walk for a few days" I shouted into my partner's ear. Zekrom roared in response and tipped us so that the tip of its wing was pointing towards the ground. He started to spin, and we dove to the ground. The air started to rush around us to create a whirlwind. The wind tunnel blew all the grunts that were flying away from us, and the helicopter swerved to the side. I smirked. This was too easy. How is this the number one evil organization of Unova? Oh wait, that's right. They have N for a King. Unless, now he's a prisoner…or dead. No, I can't think like that. But I can't help it. Zekrom and I landed safely on the ground. I'm pretty sure we were somewhere near Pinwheel Forest. We didn't make it very far. I sighed. "Zekrom, return" I said as Zekrom was enveloped in a red beam of light. "This is going to take forever" I said as I started my trek to N's Castle.

N's POV

"Are you being serious?" Prescott asked.

"Truly" I said sincerely.

"Why didn't you want to marry me before? Was it because of the way I was acting? Please tell me it was" Prescott asked softly. She looked on the verge of tears. Arceus, save me. I can't tell her the truth, but I can't lie either. She just looks so sweet with those big gray eyes.

"It wasn't because of the way you were acting. I swear. It was all me. I just wasn't ready to get married, yet. Well, I am but not with you. You see before I was brought back here, I had a girlfriend. I really love her, but I can't be with her now. We're not together anymore. So I decided I'll give you a chance."

"Oh" Prescott said sadly, lowering her eyes to the ground. She raised them up again and curiosity shone in them. "Are ready to get married to me then? We can wait. I'll wait as long as you want."

"No it's alright. We'll get married. Rich people get arranged marriages all the time, right? I was prepared for this day since I was a little boy. Besides, doesn't the couple that gets married usually fall in love anyway? Maybe we'll be like that." I gave Prescott a weak smile. She smiled back. She looked more chipper now.

"I won't let you down, King N. I'll be the best wife ever. I promise" Prescott said. She jumped up and did a little twirl. Her feet carried her so that she stood by my throne. The next thing I knew, I felt her warm lips press against my left cheek. She jumped back and skipped down the stairs and out the room. My hand reached up to my cheek. It was still sore from earlier but now it felt better somehow.

"Is she allowed to do that?" I heard one of the guards say to Eve, Rosaline, and another guard.

"I don't know. Aren't you supposed to request to leave before you leave the room?" the other guard asked back to the first guard. I saw them cast glances at me, but I didn't pay attention since I was in a trance. My hand still rested against my cheek as I stared straight ahead. That girl was so confusing but wonderful. Touko, however, is another story. No one can surpass her beauty, grace, and charm. Nobody can even compare to her tomboyish ways. She is the biggest tomboy ever. I'm not the girly liking type. Touko's small girlish side is good enough for my liking. She is perfect. Prescott, Eve, and Rosaline combined could never win my heart like she has.

"I guess. Soon she'll be the queen, our majesty, her highness, N's mistress" Rosaline said so quietly that I almost didn't hear her. My heart stopped. I froze. My mistress, she would be my mistress? I didn't want that. I only wanted Touko as my mistress.

"Kin—"

"King—"

"King N?!"

"Huh? What?" I said looking towards Eve.

"We were wondering if you were alright?" one of the guards clarified.

"Oh…yeah" I said dejectedly. Rosaline put her hands on her hips and growled.

"Don't lie to us. All four of us know that you don't want to get married. We all know that you have a girlfriend that you love and care for. You don't want to be with that Prescott girl. You want to be with that one" Rosaline said loudly, pointing towards the window. Out the window and beyond towards the main part of Unova, towards Touko. I know she shouldn't yell at me like that, but I told her and Eve not to act formal and nice around me. That plan backfired.

"I know. You don't think I know that? I would die for Touko to be safe and away from harm. I would get _married_ to someone that isn't her to keep her safe. That's why I'm doing this! I know if I don't, Ghetsis will go after her. I can't risk that!" I shouted, slamming my fists down on the armrests of the throne. All four occupants of the room jumped at my outburst.

"Don't give up on her, King N. We can all work together. We'll help you escape this place. We just want you to be happy. You have loyal followers old and new to this Team. Let us help you" Rosaline pleaded. She was so determined.

"I can't do it. I can't take the risk of Ghetsis finding out. I would rather die than see _that_ man get any form of pleasure from watching me or Touko suffer" I cried out in desperation, tears streaming down my cheeks.

"He will _never_ find out" Eve stated darkly. I looked up in shock. I never heard Eve use that tone of voice.

"Let's do this" the two guards said in unison. Why would they do that if I don't even know them that well? I don't deserve all of this generosity. I'm not a good guy. I don't understand. It's impossible for me to be a good guy. I easily lose my temper with people, except for my friends and Touko. I fell in love with a freaking eight year old when I am way older, and I want so many people dead. There is no possible way that I am a good person.

"Why? Why are you doing this? Why do you want to help me?" I whispered.

"Because you're a good person…N" Eve said happily. Her head tilted ever so slightly to the side and she smiled a smile so much like Touko's. Why do they have to look alike? Eve could be Touko's doppelganger.

"No I'm not" I said bluntly.

"Of course you are. You help anybody you can. You try to protect people. You're not selfish or mean. Only when you want to be, and we can all tell that you are a loving person. For Arceus's sake, you never shut up about your girlfriend. You really love her. We can't talk about something without you bringing her up" Rosaline explained.

"Really?"

"Yep" Eve said. I smiled then nodded my head.

"Let's make a plan."

_The next day…_

I yawned and stretched as I sat up from my bed. I opened my eyes to see two sets of eyes staring at me. I jumped and screamed. "G-Get away from me!" I shouted.

"Calm down, King N. It's only us. We wanted to thank you for our new room" Rosaline said.

"Yeah, it looks wonderful. It's so big too. We love it" Eve added on.

"Oh it's you two. I thought you were some fangirls or serial killers or something. Something murderous" I sighed out in relief.

"Fangirls? Their murderous?" Eve asked.

"Have you seen me walk through the Workers Wing? I barely make it out alive. My clothes end up in tatters; I have bruises and cuts, and nightmares for days on end. It gives me shivers just thinking about it."

"Well, I guess you are ruggedly handsome" Eve complimented. I blushed.

"I agree. I can see that your girlfriend must feel pretty lucky or at least she makes other girls envious of her" Rosaline said flashing a smile.

"Thanks" I said. It felt nice to be complimented by two girls that weren't doing to impress me…at least I don't think they were.

"So when do you want to put the plan into action?" Eve whispered.

"How about today?" I asked.

"Sure! Eve and I will stay in the surveillance room all day and tomorrow to make notes on everyone's shifts and location. You just carry on with your day normally. We'll report back to you on the day after tomorrow. That's when you step in and memorize the notes we give you. After that, we'll have to meet up again along with those two guards and figure out when to put part two into action. Got it?" Rosaline said determinedly.

"Yeah" I said. They straightened up and bowed slightly before leaving. I sighed and climbed out of bed. I walked over to the bathroom and got ready. I looked at myself in the mirror to see if I was presentable. I shifted the crown on my head before heading back to my bedroom. I was surprised to see Prescott sitting on my bed, twiddling her thumbs with a dark blush on her cheeks. She looked nervous. I scanned her up and down before realizing that she was only wearing lingerie. My breath hitched in my throat, and I stopped breathing. I tried not to make a sound, praying that she wouldn't hear me as I tried to head back into the bathroom to hide. Too bad that plan failed. Her head shot up to look me in the eye when the floor creaked beneath my feet.

"King N!" Prescott shouted in surprise. Our eyes locked. She looked at me with a confused expression. She was probably wondering why I look terrified right now. I let my eyes flicker across her body then back to her face to try to get her to understand my fear. She looked down and shrieked. On instinct, my hand flew up to cover my eyes. I turned around and stuck my free arm out in front of me, feeling around for any objects in front of me. I started to walk forward but ran right into the wall. I fell backwards and landed on my back. "King N!"

"I-I-I" I stuttered uncontrollably. "I-I."

"I am so sorry" Prescott cried out. "This wasn't my idea! I swear. It was Lord Ghetsis's. He told me to put it on and see what your reaction would be. He assumed it would have been a good one. I told him it wouldn't. But since he is my superior, I had to do what he said. I am so sorry."

"N-N-No wo-wor-worries" I said from on the floor. My hand still covered my eyes as I still lay on my back. I separated two fingers and peeked through them. Prescott was leaning over me, her hands on her thighs to support her weight.

"Do you need help?" my fiancée asked. She was currently wearing one of my shirts. It hung down to her knees. When did she put that on, and where did she get it?

"Thanks" I said shyly. She grabbed my hand and yanked me off the ground.

"No problem" Prescott said.

"Well, I better be going to the throne room" I said quickly.

"Okay."

"See you later" I said. I started to walk away but stopped when I saw a sad look on Prescott's face. I went over to her and kissed the corner of her mouth. Her face lit up with joy. I walked away, sadly smiling to myself. I made a girl happy. Why can't that make me feel better?

**A/N: Sorry if you are bored with the chapters. I swear that the next one will have the plan put into action. However, there will be a large time jump. Not like a year just maybe a month or a couple weeks. Not sure yet. Please review or favorite. Flame if you like.**


	18. Things Change

_Two days later…_

N's POV

Why is everything so complicated? I groaned and let my head fall into my hands. I never knew that there would be so many changes in positions. I guess Ghetsis did step up the security while I was away. I swear that one guard is being moved to different positions throughout the whole castle in a one hour span. Looks like escaping won't be as easy as I thought. Sigh. "King N, is everything alright? Did we not do our job the right way?" Rosaline questioned.

"Oh no, you did fine. There are just way more shifts and grunts than I remember" I sighed out.

"We could move the plan to take place on a holiday. There is a Team Plasma holiday coming up in three weeks. It's the celebration of the anniversary of the day that Team Plasma was formed. I think it's the twenty-fifth anniversary if I'm correct. Most of the grunts and maids stay in the Worker's Wing and have a party. Not many are seen during the day" Rosaline explained. "Am I right, Eve?" Eve placed a finger to her chin and thought about the question for a moment.

"I believe so" Eve slowly confirmed.

"Excellent, I will be escaping in three weeks' time. Does everyone understand?" Rosaline, Eve, and the two guards in the room nodded. "Let's go over the plan real quick, okay? Here's what we're going to do..."

_One hour later…_

"N! N! Look!" Prescott shouted while running into the throne room.

"Yes? What is it?" I asked with disinterest.

"Awww, come on. Don't be so grumpy. It's my engagement ring" Prescott announced while showing me her hand.

"Your engagement ring? I didn't get you one."

"Oh, I know. Ghetsis said that you were too busy for such a minor task, so he told me to pick one out for myself and that you would pay for it. I ordered this one out of a magazine. I didn't want anything too fancy but something fit for a queen, so I chose this one with a big diamond in the middle and two baby diamonds on either side implanted in the band. Isn't it cute? Do you like it?" Prescott explained in one long breath. Her face was a little blue at the end of her explanation.

"Breathe. Breathe. I'm glad you're happy, but can you leave now? I was in the middle of a meeting" I said to my fiancée as I gestured to the six Sages behind her, excluding Ghetsis, who was not present at the moment. She turned around and her face flushed.

"Oops, my bad. I'll be taking my leave now. Good day, my King" Prescott concluded before bowing to the Sages then me. She left the room in three seconds flat, quickly blowing a kiss to me on the way out.

"As I was saying before I was _rudely_ interrupted, we need to discuss the project of liberating Pokémon from humans" I began.

"What is it you would like to discuss, my king? Is something wrong with the way it is now?" Sage Zinzolin asked.

"There is actually" I said, staring into each of the six Sages eyes to show how serious I was. All of the Sages looked at each other before looking back at me.

"What is it that you don't like, my king? We will fix the problem immediately" Sage Rood questioned.

"I dislike the whole idea of liberating Pokémon from humans. I want to terminate the project immediately after this meeting is over."

"But… King N, isn't liberating people and Pokémon, what Team Plasma is all about? You were all for this idea when you were a teenager" Sage Giallo stated flabbergasted. Sage Gorm and Bronius looked at me in bewilderment also. Sage Ryoku didn't look concerned or confused about anything. He actually looked quite bored as he studied the walls and ceiling.

"Things change" I bluntly stated while looking at the far wall. The Sages sighed out in defeat.

"Yes, King N" all of the Sages said in unison.

"Orders will be sent out to members out in the field to stop liberating people and Pokémon" Sage Zinzolin announced. Anyone of the Sages could have changed N's mind about wanting to terminate the project when he was younger, but now the chances were bleak. Nobody could change his mind now. This new N actually followed his heart and couldn't be convinced to do anything. It was all probably because of that treacherous girl he met. She changed their king and not one person liked it one bit.

"What will Team Plasma do now? Our whole life was dedicated to liberating people and Pokémon" Sage Gorm said distraughtly.

"Simple. Team Plasma begins to _help_ people and Pokémon get along" I suggested. It was more of a command than suggestion however.

"Preposterous" a voice shouted throughout the room. All heads turned towards the large double doors as they swung open to reveal an outraged Ghetsis. Ghetsis stormed into the room and slammed his fists down on the long table.

"N, you can't just terminate this project. It will ruin Team Plasma's reputation or change people's perspective on us. Stop being foolish, boy! Do what's right for everyone!" Ghetsis said through grit teeth, trying to be calm. The Sages broke out in murmurs.

"Silence!" I commanded. "_Sage _Ghetsis, how nice or you to join the meeting? I'm happy you like to state your opinion but the other Sages and myself have already made the decision to shut down the project. If you we here sooner, then you might have been able to turn the cards, but alas, you weren't. Oh by the way, you must address me as King N and not just N."

"You listen here, boy" Ghetsis began.

"I'm sorry, but this meeting is closed" I said calmly. I pushed my chair back from the head of the table and headed towards the door. Ghetsis stood in front of me.

"You can't do this" he hissed.

"Oh but I can. _You_ made _me_ King, remember? That was not wise. If I were you and I learned that my son had a new bad attitude, then I would have held me prisoner instead. Too bad you made the wrong decision." Ghetsis glared daggers at me. "Good day, Lord Ghetsis" I said coolly as I left the Council Room. I walked down the hall a little ways before I heard the footsteps of the other Sages exit the room also. As I walked down the hall, I passed three guards standing at their post. I stopped walking to look at them. All three of their bodies tensed up under my cold hard gaze. I wasn't in a very good mood this evening. "You three, come here."

"Yes, your highness?" one guard asked nervously.

"I want all three of you to do a favor for me. This favor is optional but if you do it, then I'll give you a day off. It would be any day of your choice" I said lowly so that the passing Sages wouldn't hear me.

"What is the favor you need done?"

"I want you to follow Lord Ghetsis to his room and then guard his door. Do not let him out under any circumstances. If he orders you otherwise, then I suggest you tell him that I gave you the orders and that I am higher in command than him." They all nodded.

"Yes, sir" they saluted.

"I'll give you another free day too if you keep him up all night" I bargained. All three nodded again. "Great." I turned around and headed back down the hall with an evil smirk on my face and a dark chuckle escaping my lips. "_Father_ is getting just what he deserves, punishment for disagreeing with the king."

Ghetsis's POV

That insolent boy is going to regret his decision in changing Team Plasma's motives. I knew that making him king again was a mistake. I should have gotten rid of him when he decided to run away and stay out of my radar. I guess we'll have to see what happens later. I smirked to myself. I better go get ready for later. Prescott and I have much to discuss. I walked down the hall and entered my room. I prepared myself in more casual attire and got ready to leave. I twisted the door handle, but it didn't budge. "Hello? Is anyone out there? I need to be let out!" I shouted.

"Sorry, Lord Ghetsis. You are confined to your room for the day! You are not to be let out under any circumstances" a voice called back.

"What?! What is the meaning of this?!" I shouted angrily back to the voice. Who would dare shut me in my room?

"Orders from King N!" the voice called back casually.

"I order you to let me out. I am your superior!" I demanded.

"King N's orders. He's higher in command than you. He's a more superior superior" a different voice called back. This one was more feminine.

"What are his reasons for locking me in here?!"

"For showing the King disrespect and disagreeing with him. Now be quiet. Find something to do to pass the time!" a third more gruff voice said. I growled. N is abusing his power. I've made a horrible mistake. I'll have to convince Prescott to start ruling Team Plasma the right way when she becomes queen. Or maybe, hopefully, N will come to his senses when he gets married to someone he doesn't love. Once he's married, his little girlfriend will be taken out of the picture permanently. I'll just tell him some freak accident occurred. That retched girl has corrupted N's brain. For that, she deserves to die. I sighed. I sat down and began plotting a plan to take out the girl.

"I might as well get some sleep first" I said to myself. I could hear whispering outside the door. Loud bangs and shouting was heard outside my room. I groaned. Maybe I wasn't going to get sleep after all.

N's POV

"I've had it" I growled. "If I spend one more second in this place, then I know that I will go completely insane. Five days in this place and your life becomes a living hell" I muttered.

"King N, you must calm down. You need to be at your best in three weeks if everything is to go according to plan. Please rest. Take a nap if you have to. Just STOP pacing the room you're going to drive _me_ insane if you keep it up!" Rosaline called out in frustration. Her small hands were already yanking at her hair and getting ready to pull some out. Eve silently sat on the floor with her hands folded in her lap. Not one word came out of her mouth and it didn't look like there was going to be anything said from her in a while anyway.

"I'm sorry Rosaline, but I can't handle my father or Prescott anymore. They have been pestering me for the past two days about every little detail of the wedding and what is going on in Team Plasma. I want to murder myself right now" I complained. Rosaline stared at me before lowering her hands from her head.

"Yes, you're right. I shouldn't be saying anything when you're the one under the most stress. Please forgive me" Rosaline said.

"Of course."

"How about a game? We've been sitting in your toy room for about twenty minutes now. How about we put all these games and toys to use?"

"Aren't we a little old for games?"

"Come on King N. I know you've been dying to play with your old toys. Besides, aren't we all kids at heart?"

"You're right. Maybe a game could act as a stress reliever anyway?"

"That's the spirit" Rosaline cheered. She looked between me and Eve and smiled. "Any suggestions?" I heard someone clear their throat. My head turned towards Eve. She had a fist to her mouth. The fist slowly lowered down to her lap again. Eve's eyes darted anxiously between me and Rosaline.

"How about Clue?" the brunette proposed. I grinned. Ah, Clue. It's a classic.

**A/N: So yeah. Not much in this chapter. The next one will have Touko's POV for a short time. However, I do love how N uses his power in this chapter. I also wanted to put in N's thoughts on Team Plasma and liberating Pokémon. I'm glad I finally got it in. Review if you wanna.**


	19. Farewell

_Three weeks later…_

Touko's POV

I sat on the forest floor with my face in my hands crying my eyes out. I left Mom, Cheren, Bianca, Professor Juniper, and everyone else I cared about to go rescue N, but for what? For nothing. N's been gone for almost a month now. In a couple of days, it will have been one official month. I haven't seen him for a whole fucking month. Excuse my language. I feel so lost and alone. "I hate Team Plasma!" I cried out as hot tears streamed down my cheeks. The tears hit my lips as I licked them. A salty flavor covered the tip of my tongue. "Enough crying for the day, I better get a move on" I told myself. I stood up and dusted off my shorts then rubbed my eyes to clear the liquid away. I could feel the sun bask my shoulders and legs in warmth. It was the first soothing thing I felt in a long time.

"Hey, you!" a deep voice called out. Dang it! I picked up my bag from the ground and made a run for it. Ten to fifteen men appeared behind me. They were all dressed in the Team Plasma uniforms. None of them were friendlies. If N sent them, I would know. These guys were the real Team Plasma deal. Hee hee, that rhymed. No time for jokes. "STOP!"

"Leave me alone! I just want to be left in peace!" I called back over my shoulder. I continued to run and weave through the trees until a guy came out of nowhere and blocked my path.

"Surrender and no harm will come to you. If you resist, then there can be no promises" the guy blocking my path threatened.

"I'll never surrender. You can tell Ghetsis to go to hell" I snarled.

"I tried to let you off easy, and you turned me down. There can be no promises on your safety now" the guy said darkly.

"I love a challenge" I said. I smirked. "Come out, Zekrom!" My pokéball flew up into the air and opened as a bright red light escaped the containment device. "Use thunderbolt!" Zekrom roared in response and its tail started to glow as electricity started to jump off its black body. A crackling noise could be heard as the electricity touched the air. The thunderbolt reached its maximum power and shot forward towards the guy in front of me. He screamed and jumped to the side and into a bush. He barely dodged the attack as it passed him. I silently claimed triumph and ran past the guy who was currently upside down in the shrub. Idiot. As I ran, I thought about the past month. I've been running and battling to save N, but those stupid Team Plasma members follow me everywhere. I can't get close enough to the castle and when I do there are too many people and Pokémon for my legendary Pokémon to handle. They may be strong but they don't have the energy to fight all of them.

"You won't get away this time!"

"You want to bet?!"

"Lucario, use aura sphere!"

"Zekrom, thunderbolt!" The two attacks hit head on. An explosion was heard behind me as my feet pounded against the ground. "Zekrom, over here!" Zekrom flew to my side in an instant and landed beside me. I jumped onto its wing and then onto its back. We took off and headed to the clouds for cover.

"She's getting away!"

"Let her go. We'll find her again. She always comes back. One day she'll give up, and we won't have to deal with her again." I sighed. They were right. I just couldn't seem to give up. I didn't want to leave N, but maybe it was my time. It was time to give up. The decision seemed rational. I may have had the power, will, and hope but their numbers beat me by a long shot. One versus a hundred wasn't a fair game.

"I'm sorry, N. I may be giving up on myself but I will never give up on you" I whispered to no one as a lone tear slid down my cheek. "Come on Zekrom…we're heading home. I think everyone's waiting for our return."

N's POV

"It's time. It's the day you've all been waiting for. The 25th anniversary of Team Plasma!" my voice boomed throughout the throne room. The crowd in front of me cheered. "I know you are all excited to celebrate today so for the rest of the day I want you to have fun and celebrate. You all get the day off. Enjoy!"

"King N! King N! King N! King N!" everybody chanted even as they went out the large double doors. I sat down in my throne with a small smile on my face as the room cleared out until no one was left but Rosaline, Eve, Prescott, and the two throne room guards. I had one last thing to do before I could set the escape plan into action. My gaze scanned the room for any unwanted stragglers. I didn't see anyone that was important. I raised my hands up in front of me and clapped three times. The Shadow Triad appeared in front of me out of thin air like ghosts.

"I want you to keep the party goers in line. Make sure nothing gets too out of hand. Have fun while you're there if you want" I said. A grunting noise came from the group before disappearing into nothingness. I turned to my companions to see one unwanted guest. I put a hand to my forehead and sighed in exasperation and annoyance. "What is it that you need, Prescott?"

"Oh!" the blue haired girl jumped up in surprise. We stared at each other a moment before she moved to my side. Her arm wrapped around mine, and she gently tugged me to try and get me out of my seat. I rolled my eyes. "What is it?"

"I want you to come celebrate with me. You can come to the Worker's Wing and meet my parents too. I never introduced you, and we're getting married in a few days. What kind of person forgets a silly thing like that?" Prescott joked. She pulled on my arm again. "Are you coming?"

"Prescott, I don't have time to meet your parents or spend the day with you. I have more important matters to attend to. I have tons of paperwork to fill out that should get done. Today is the perfect day to do it because I won't have any interruptions. I hope you can understand. This is my life as a King. We may be able to spend a little more time together when we're married but for now…there is business to attend to" I said softly. Hurt flashed in Prescott's eyes, but I brushed the feeling of guilt away. Touko was way more important to me than her. I hope Prescott can find someone who loves her and won't just throw her feelings around. Prescott put on a fake smile and skipped down the stairs that led up to the throne until she was on the floor again. She turned around to face me. Her hands were clasped behind her back as she bent forward a little and playfully stuck her tongue out at me.

"Killjoy" she said happily and laughed afterwards. As she skipped out the room, I noticed the excitement and shine leave her eyes as she cast one final glance at me. Her playful act was just a façade. Deep down, I truly broke her heart. I felt like a monster. I looked at the four remaining people in the room. Rosaline, Eve, and one of the guards looked at me expectantly. The second guard, however, was looking at the door that Prescott left through. He had a sad smile on his face but happiness danced in his eyes. That was when it finally struck me. This guard loved Prescott.

"Ahem" I said to catch the guard's attention. He immediately turned towards me. "Now let's get to work. Rosaline, do you have the letter I wrote for you to read to everyone once I'm gone?" The blonde shoved a hand in her apron pocket and dug around for a moment before producing a white envelop from the area.

"Here it is" Rosaline proclaimed.

"Great!" I looked towards the guards. "You two volunteered to watch the security cameras and patrol the castle with one or two other people, right?" Both guards nodded their heads. "Do you each have a walkie talkie to communicate with each other?"

"Yes, your majesty" they said.

"Great. Eve and Rosaline each have one too. All four of you can talk to each other and update each other on positioning and status. Here's what I decided to do. Rosaline will cover for me and Eve and tell anyone she meets that we're in the garden. I'm going to take Eve here with me, and we are going to go to the enclosed garden. I'll speak with all the Pokémon there and have them become a diversion or use them to stall anyone if needed. Hopefully, we won't have to do that. Afterwards, we'll use the Abra there to use teleport and get him to get me out of the building. Ghetsis is too heartless and uninterested in our Pokémon here to bother learning what moves they know. He doesn't even know that the Abra here can use teleport. He was never very good at keeping me inside."

"What do you mean?" one of the guards asked.

"When I was little, I always visited my friends and learned everything about them. Let's just say that I might have made a few friends outside the castle too. But back to the plan, Abra will teleport back inside and then the psychic and ghost Pokémon will work together to create an illusion. Anybody that goes into the garden will think I'm there. Outside of the castle, I'll meet up will up with some old friends and get them to take me back to Nuvema Town. Everybody got their roles implanted in their brains?"

"Yep!"

"Alright, then disperse. I'll meet up with Eve outside my old toy room in a few minutes. Into your positions!" Rosaline and Eve scrambled out the door with both guards following. "Ahem" I said for the second time that day. The guard that was at the door to leave and the only person in the room besides me stopped in his tracks. He looked at me in question. "Do you love her?" I asked bluntly. The guards face flushed.

"W-W-Who?" he stuttered out.

"Prescott, who else?"

"Ummm" he said awkwardly.

"It's okay if you do. I going to leave before I marry her, remember? Besides, I never loved her. She deserves someone like you" I said truthfully. The guard stared at me for a moment before giving me a soft smile.

"Thank you, sir. And I do love her. I've known her since we were kids. We grew up in this castle together" he said. His sandy brown hair fell in front of his green eyes as his head tilted to the side in a weird but reassuring way. "I'll do my best to make her happy once you leave."

"I hope so" I said sternly. "Now you better get going. We have a long day ahead of us. Well I do at least. Thanks for the help. I couldn't have done it without you. You would have made a great friend."

"Thank you. It's a real honor...Natural" he commented with a bow and goofy grin on his face before leaving the room. I shook my head back in forth. I loved my new friends here at the castle, but I missed my old ones more.

"Touko, I'm finally coming home" I thought out loud. My body hunched forward as I stood from my throne. I looked at its red velvet cushions and gold frame one last time before heading towards the door. I couldn't help but think about how I would actually miss the place where my life was ruined and dreams crushed. With another shake of my head and swish of my robe, I left the throne room and went down the hallway. My crown gleamed as I passed through a patch of sunlight coming in from the windows near the top of the high ceiling. Behind me, I left a throne room that would grow cold and dusty with time. I left the place I would be known as King N, all for my selfish desires and love.

**A/N: The story's not over yet despite this chapter's ending. Don't think Touko's a jerk either by what she did. The next chapter is all N's POV. Review. You don't have to if you don't want to, but the truth is that I really want you to.**


	20. Escape Plan

N's POV

My feet carried me all the way to my room. I stood in front of the doors that led to the toy room. My head turned from side to side. The hallway was clear and no one was in sight. I slowly lifted up my hand. My knuckles rapped the large doors two times before pausing and rapping the door again. The handle of the door opened and Eve's head popped out of the crack of the door. Seeing that the person knocking was me, she slipped out of the room and stood by my side. "Ready?" I whispered.

"Ready" she confirmed. She delicately folded her hands in front of her as we walked back towards the throne room. As we passed the throne room doors, I stared straight ahead. I didn't want to see that room for the rest of my life. It was my past, and I wanted to put it behind me. I wanted to continue living in the present. After a few minutes walking, we reached a small wooden door. Eve's hand wrapped around the door knob, and she slowly pulled it open. The hinges creaked as the door opened up to as far it could open. I stepped through the door, and Eve followed suit. Eve closed the door behind her.

"It's beautiful today" Eve commented, as she casually walked forward through the rows of flowers.

"It is" I added. The garden covered a large area. Flowers grew out of the ground and trees towered over everything in sight. I walked to the very edge of the room and pressed my hand against the warm glass that acted as the wall. The garden was like a giant greenhouse. Flowers of different varieties and colors filled the air with a sweet aroma. I took a deep breath through my nose and took in the last scent I would ever have of the place.

"One guard is headed in your direction" Rosaline's voice echoed throughout the room. Eve unhooked her walkie talkie from her apron and pressed the button the side in.

"Thanks" Eve replied to Rosaline. The walkie talkie made a static like noise before everything was silent again except for the occasional Pokémon call.

"I'm ready" I said as I looked through the glass wall and into the outside world of the castle. I saw wild Pokémon play in the trees beyond the glass, looking like they were having the time of their lives. I heard a sniffle behind me. My body turned towards the source of the noise. Eve was on her hands in knees in the dirt; tears streamed down her face. "What's wrong?"

"Are you really sure you want to go? We'll all miss you so much. You were the best King a person could ask for" Eve asked as she looked up at me. There was a hint of desperation in her voice as she spoke.

"I appreciate that, but I must go. There is someone waiting for me back at home" I said sadly. I walked up to Eve and crouched down in front of her, placing a hand on her shoulder in comfort. "Please understand."

"No! Don't leave! Please stay here with us! I don't want you to go! I love you!" Eve said as she launched herself at me. Her arms wrapped around my neck as she cried into my shoulder. I sat there in shock. My body wouldn't move. I never realized how much I affected the people in the castle. My hand finally moved and rubbed circles on Eve's back.

"I'm sorry. I never meant for anybody to fall in love with me. I tried to keep my distance from everyone, but I guess I couldn't stay away from you. You just reminded me of my girlfriend so much that I had to be your friend. I'm sorry, but I have to go. I only wish I could return your feelings. I would stay with you guys forever if could" I apologized. Eve only seemed to cry harder. I let her go and stood up. My robe stirred up dust from the ground as I moved towards all the Pokémon that gathered around me and Eve. "Friends, please help me. I would like you to distract anyone that comes in this room. Make an illusion of me if necessary. I will be going away. If anyone sees me, then I will be held captive. Please help me, for you have been with me since I can remember and I would appreciate the favor. I will miss you all."

"Of course, N" voices screamed in my head.

"Thank you" I said gratefully. "Abra, will you do the honors of teleporting me outside like old times?"

"Anything for you" Abra's voice echoed in my head. I smiled and turned back to Eve, who was now standing up and facing me.

"I have one favor to ask of you" I miserably stated. I reached out and touched Eve on her still wet cheek. Her head leaned into my touch. The corners of her lips twitched upwards into a small smile. Her two hands were placed over my one on her cheek as she nuzzled my hand.

"Anything" she cried.

"Forget about me" I said before I teleported out of sight. During the teleportation, my legs turned to jelly and when I landed on the ground in the forest, my legs buckled under me. I jumped behind a tree as I heard various Pokémon calls and Eve shouting. A foreign voice was with them.

I could hear it faintly say "What just happened? I swear I just saw King N in here." It must have been that guard Rosaline warned us about.

"What are you talking about? He's over there" Eve's faint voice said. The Pokémon must have created an illusion of me. I smiled.

"Thank you, Eve" I said. The sun was slowly setting. Hopefully, the darkness of the night will keep me shielded from any guards outside. I turned around and ran into the cover of the trees. My feet led me to a small clearing; Pokémon played with each other there. "Friends" I called out gently. All eyes turned to me.

"Please, help me on my journey back to Nuvema Town. I will be forever grateful." Most of the Pokémon nodded their heads and trudged towards me. I hopped onto the back of a Zebstrika. "Take me home." The Zebstrika whinnied and took off. We travelled for about two hours before stopping. I jumped off the Zebstrika and stroked its nose. "I can walk from here on. Thank you, you were great" I praised. Many Pokémon still followed me as I set off on foot.

Third Person POV

_Back at the Team Plasma Castle…_

"Dear Team Plasma" Rosaline started off as she scanned the first few lines of the letter N left behind. The members of Team Plasma looked up at her expectantly as they waited to hear what their leader said in his letter to them. "I have decided to leave Team Plasma. I am not fit to be King and never was. All of you were so kind to me, and I am grateful for that. Please do not cry or feel sad. I didn't leave just for people to be depressed." People started to cry and chuckle at that line. Rosaline had tears streaming down her face and had difficulty reading the next part. Eve walked up to her with a forced smile on her face and took the letter from her friend. Eve would finish the letter since she already cried enough for the day.

"I would like to make one final decision as King for the future of Team Plasma. I even left a signed document to make this official inside the envelope with this letter. I hereby make the 25th anniversary of Team Plasma the day that Team Plasma also ends. That's right. From here on, there is no more Team Plasma. I would like to thank you all for your loyalty and service. Move on and form new lives. It is the best for everyone" Eve proclaimed. Gasps were heard throughout the room.

"Is it true?" someone shouted to Eve from the crowd. "Is there really a document stating that there is no more Team Plasma?" Eve opened the white envelope back up and pulled out another piece of paper. She opened it up and held it up for everyone to see. The paper sported an official stamp and signature on the bottom. A woman passed out at the sight. Some of her friends gathered around her and helped her back up.

"Back to the letter" Eve yelled over the voices of confusion. "Now I would like to make a few shout outs. This shout out is to Eve and Rosaline. Thank you for being my closest friends during my time as king. You weren't that bad as maids either. Now to the Sages, thanks for helping me out in making the decision for the future of Team Plasma even if we didn't get along very well. Next is Prescott." Prescott looked up at Eve from the crowd. She was the one who took the news of N leaving the worst. Her hair stuck up in different directions, her eyes were red and puffy, and her heart was broken. She, like Eve, truly fell in love with N.

"N" Prescott whispered to herself.

"Prescott, I would like to thank you for putting up with me. I was a real jerk at times but you still stuck with me. It was an honor to be engaged to you, but I have to confess that I never really loved you. I believe you would have made a great wife if given the chance. I know you'll meet someone who loves you and will care for you, someone who deserves you, unlike me. Don't feel sad" Eve read aloud. Prescott stood frozen in place. Her hands were clenched into fists and her bottom lip quivered. Her eyes were tightly shut as she cried in anger, sorrow, and frustration.

"Idiot" she shouted at the top of her lungs. Her body heaved from her sobbing. One sandy brown haired guard with green eyes wrapped an arm around Prescott's shoulders. She glanced up at him. He stared straight ahead then flicked his eyes towards her for a second before looking back away. A light blush covered his cheeks. Prescott gave him a small smile before pecking him on the cheek. The blush increased. "Thank you, Matt." He gave a slight nod of the head to show he heard.

"Lastly, I would like to make a shout out to _father_. Father, I mean Ghetsis because you aren't worthy of the title father, I would just like to say that I won. No matter how hard you tried to control me and get me to act the way you wanted me to act, I never caved in to your demands. I am my own person. You thought you had me on a leash, but you never did. Stay away from me and Touko, or I will personally hunt you down and kill you. I just want you to know how much I hate you. That's right everyone, you all heard me say it. I hate Ghetsis and I promise you that I am being serious about killing you. I won't hesitate to do it. Love, Natural Harmonia Gropius." Ghetsis, who was standing in the shadows at the back of the room tensed up as all eyes went on him. Even if N's threat was through a letter, he could tell N was being serious. N really did win, and Ghetsis lost.

"This isn't the end of me" Ghetsis muttered to himself as everyone dispersed to go pack their belongings. Team Plasma was officially over.

N's POV

_Four days later…_

I leaned against a tree as I took a break, gasping for breath. I was covered in dirt, as was my robe and crown. Some of my clothes were ripped up, and I could feel twigs sticking out of my hair. Sweat soaked my hair line and rolled down my face. Drops of sweat seeped into some deep cuts and scratches I received while escaping the wrath of Ghetsis's men. Four days of walking through the woods, swimming across rivers, and being attacked by a few former Team Plasma members was not fun. I glanced up and through my bangs I saw the trees starting to thin out. I knew I was close. I used my body weight to push myself off the tree. "I'm coming. Touko." I used my hands to push back some branches and head towards the sound of civilization. With one more step forward, I finally left the shelter and shade of the trees and came out into the open. I squinted my eyes shut as sun shone into them, for they weren't use to the sunlight after days of travelling in the shadows of the trees. Small houses and people were silhouetted against the bright sun. A large smile reached my face as I took a few more steps forward. It took a lot of energy because I was truly exhausted. I had to keep going, however. I kept walking until I reached a familiar house. I knocked on the door and patiently waited for someone to answer. It took the rest of my strength to stay standing. The door finally opened to reveal a teenage brunette. I smiled again.

"N?" the brunette said in shock.

"Touko" I sighed in relief before passing out.

**A/N: N's home. Yeah! Please review. Sorry for the late update. FanFiction was having uploading problems. Anyway, I don't usually do this but I decided to try something out. I want at least three reviews before I post the next chapter. Don't worry this is only this one time. I'm experimenting to see what kind of response I get.**


	21. Prognosis

Touko's POV

"N!" I shouted in fear. I fell to my knees and started shaking N's limp body. "Wake up! Wake up! WAKE UP!" I screeched. Footsteps approached me, but I ignored them.

"What's going on here?" my mom said in annoyance. I glanced back at her with fear in my eyes. Her stern face became one of concern. Her gaze slid from mine to rest on something behind me. "Oh my!" She joined me at N's side and helped me lift him up off the ground. We carried him to the couch and laid him down. I sat on the floor beside him, holding his hand as my mom prepared a cold washcloth to put on his head. She came back over and placed the cloth on his head. I removed N's robe and crown before starting to pick twigs from N's hair. I could hear my mom talking to the doctor on the phone. The doctor arrived half an hour later. He examined N and gave the prognosis that N is dehydrated, had heat exhaustion, and was completely drained of energy. After the examination, he left.

"Mom, I know the doctor said N needed rest and to drink lots of fluids, and stay in the air conditioning, but I think we should move him to his house. It would be better for him to rest in his own bed" I stated.

"I think you're right. How about we call Cheren over? He can help us move N back to his house, besides we needed to inform him that N's back home anyway" Mom suggested.

"Okay." I grabbed my Xtransceiver and dialed Cheren's number. His face appeared on the screen.

"Hi, Touko. What's up?" he asked. Tears pricked the corners of my eyes from happiness.

"N's back" I said happily.

"What?!" Cheren screamed. "I'll be right there!" The screen on the Xtransceiver went blank. I blinked in surprise.

"I didn't even get to tell him that we needed his help moving N back to his house" I thought aloud. "I guess I'll tell him when he gets here." I sat back down on the floor and stared at N's face. N looked like he was having difficulty breathing, but other than that he actually looked quite peaceful. I stared at his face for another minute or two before Cheren burst through the door.

"N!" Cheren shouted as he rushed to sit down beside me on the floor. Cheren stared at N for a long time. I glanced at his face and noticed tears running down his cheeks. I was shocked. Cheren was always so composed, and he never showed any emotion after N was kidnapped. They must have been closer than I thought.

"Cheren" I said as I rested a hand on his shoulder. He tensed up under my touch. A dry chuckle escaped past his lips.

"N and I might not have gotten along sometimes but I still always thought of him as my brother. After he was taken, I didn't know what to do or how to feel. I just prayed that he would be okay. I was actually ecstatic when you decided to go find him. I guess my emotions finally got to me" he said softly as he used his arm to wipe away the tears.

"Hey" I said. He looked at me, and I smiled. "I'm glad he's back too." Cheren nodded his head. "Now will you help me and Mom take N to his house. We need your help to carry him up the stairs and into his room."

"Sure" Cheren said. We both stood up and cracked our knuckles.

"Ready?" I asked.

"Ready" Cheren confirmed. He hooked his arms under N's armpits while I grabbed N's legs. My mother walked over to the door and opened it as we neared it. Cheren and I hauled N out of the house and made our trek over to N's house. My mother appeared at N's door in an instant. She opened that one up too and closed it as we went into the house. Our final challenge awaited us as we began to mount the steps to the second floor. Cheren went first and carefully placed his feet on the stairs as he walked backwards. I slowly followed him up. Once we made it to the top unharmed, we carried N into his room and laid him on the bed.

"Thanks for your help, Cheren" I said while watching N's face. I glanced over to the raven haired boy as he finished removing N's white boots.

"No problem. Is your mom going to come over and help out, or are you just going to watch over N?" he asked.

"I'll probably watch him most of the time, but my mom might come over later to check on us. I don't even know what I can really do. The doctor said that he'll probably sleep most if not all of today and tomorrow. The only thing I can really do is make sure he stays cool" I said sadly as I removed N's white dress shirt. I felt useless just sitting there. I would prefer if N woke up. We could talk about what happened to him.

"I think you're helping him by just being in the same room. I can feel his happiness radiating off him from over here" Cheren said cheerfully. I laughed.

"Sure you can. Thanks for trying to make me feel better."

"Any time or place."

"Should I call Bianca and tell her N's back?"

"Nah, you should just watch over N. I'll go tell Bianca. I was going over to Professor Juniper's anyway" Cheren offered. "See you later."

"Bye" I called out as he left. I looked back at N. He looked scared. My hand touched his forehead as he started to toss back and forth. I yanked my hand back in surprise. He was burning up. I ran downstairs and turned on the air conditioning than wet a washcloth and went back upstairs. I placed the cool cloth on N's forehead and sat down on the edge of the bed. N grumbled something inaudible and started to thrash around in panic. I jumped away from him to escape his kicks and punches. The thrashing only got worse as I stared at him. What should I do? Should I stop him from moving? I should. He's using way too much energy up. I made a decision and threw myself on top of N's body. I pinned his arms to the bed and held his legs still with my knees. N struggled for a few seconds before becoming limp. I sighed. Thank Arceus.

"No" N whispered.

"Huh?"

"No, don't hurt her. I'll stay…just don't hurt her" he mumbled.

"Hurt who? Me? Is it me, N? Don't worry. I'm fine see. Don't worry" I said softly.

"I'm sorry. Please. Don't hurt her" N mumbled again, but he sounded a little more panicked. "Don't! Don't touch her you bastard! I'll kill you! Stay away from her!" N growled. I stroked N's hair to try and calm him down. He relaxed under my touch.

"Calm down" I cooed in his ear.

"Touko…forgive me" N pleaded. His eyes stayed shut. I felt really bad. He must be having some kind of nightmare.

"I forgive you." I climbed off N and laid down beside him. I would have wrapped my arms around him if he wasn't over heated, but alas he was, so I couldn't. I reached into my pocket and wrapped my fingers around my Jirachi good luck charm. "Thank you, Jirachi." I closed my eyes and fell asleep with a smile on my face.

_Sometime later…_

"Touko. Touko, wake up" a voice whispered. I groaned.

"Five more minutes" I grumbled.

"Touko!" the voice whispered harshly. I sat up abruptly to glare at the blonde beside me.

"What?!" I snapped. "I was in the middle of having a really good dream. The first good dream I've had in a whole month." I stared at Bianca's emotionless face. Suddenly she broke into a grin.

"You must be overjoyed now that N's back!" Bianca chirped while clasping her hands together. I sighed and gave her a weak smile.

"Yeah, I am. What are you doing here?"

"What? I can't come here to see, N? Is it a crime that I want to visit my friend that has been missing for a month, or are you the only one allowed to see him?" Bianca asked.

"No. I just expected you to come see him tomorrow since he's down for the count, and I assumed you had a lot of work to do" I explained.

"Or did you want to be alone with N?" Bianca smirked as her eyes shone mischievously. My face started to heat up.

"N-N-No! That's not it at all!"

"Keep telling yourself that." I crossed my arms across my chest and pouted. Bianca is so mean. If she had a boyfriend, she would probably want to hog him to herself too. "Calm down. I was joking. I just came by to see N, but I can see he's not going to be waking up anytime soon. I'll come back tomorrow. See you then." I waved goodbye to her as she left. My gaze went from the door and back to N's face. His eyebrows were scrunched together like he was in deep thought. His lips moved but no words came out. Was he about to say something or at least trying to say something?

"N?"

"…"

"N?"

"Fine. Fine, we'll do it."

"N? You're having a dream. Stop making yourself look like a fool" I playfully chided.

"Sheesh, leave me alone. I told you we'd get married" N murmured. Married? Who was he supposedly talking to?

"N, who are you going to get married to?"

"Ah! What are you doing in my room dressed like that? You may be my fiancée, Prescott but those clothes are not appropriate." Prescott? He was going to marry someone named Prescott? I sniffled. No, I wouldn't believe it. He said that he loved me countless times. There is no way that he would get engaged to someone else. I'll ask him about it when he gets up. I have to do something while I wait for him to wake up. I climbed out of the bed and went back downstairs. I re-wet the washcloth and headed back towards the staircase. As I stepped onto the first step, the front door opened. Mom walked in with some groceries.

"Mom?"

"Yes, dear! I came over to see how you were doing. How is N?" Mom asked sweetly.

"I think he's having nightmares, and he keeps talking in his sleep but other than that he's doing okay."

"We should try to give him some water."

"Won't he start choking?"

"No, if we're extra careful, then his food passage should open up when we tilt his head forward."

"Okay" I said in understanding. I walked back to the sink and filled a glass up with cold water.

"Let's go" my mother said as she set the groceries down and started to head up the stairs to N's room. I jogged to catch up to her. Her form disappeared into N's room as I reached the top of the stairs. I followed the figure and entered the room. Mom was slowly sitting N up and tilting his head forward a little. "I think I have his head in the right position. Give him the water. Only a little bit at a time though and slowly" mother instructed. I nodded my head to show her I heard.

"This will make you feel better" I stated as I slowly raised the glass to his dry lips and poured some of the clear liquid down his throat. A few drops of water escaped his mouth and dribbled down his chin and onto his black turtleneck.

"That's good for now, sweetie." I tipped the glass so it was upright again and placed the clear container on the nightstand nearest to me.

"I'll go down and make us some dinner. I know you'll want to stay here for the night, am I right?" Mom asked.

"Yeah." She nodded in understanding before going back downstairs. I looked at N and used his white dress shirt that I threw on the floor earlier to wipe the liquid of his face. After he was dried off, I removed his socks and turtleneck to help cool him down a little more. He looked more content than ever.

**A/N: Review. Next chapter will obviously be N waking up. Touko and N will finally get to see each other (without passing out) again. So cute. I love Ferriswheelshipping.**


	22. Whatever You Want

_Two days later…_

N's POV

I groaned as light hit the back of my eyelids. Where was I? I slowly sat up and opened my eyes. Black dots spotted my vision as my head made the world seem like it was spinning…fast. I brought a hand up to my head and pressed my palm against my temple. The spinning stopped, and I took in my surroundings. The familiar décor made me smile. I was in my bedroom. If I was in my bedroom, does that mean Touko is here? I swung my feet off the bed in glee. I stood up and my legs gave out from under me. They felt like jelly. "Tou—" I tried to say before falling down and hitting my chin of the floor. "Oomph." My eyes watered as the pain edged its way to my senses. Loud footsteps could be heard coming towards the room. I moaned out in agony, and the footsteps quickened their pace. My bedroom door opened up to reveal a surprised Touko.

"N?!" she called out in shock before rushing to my side. She grabbed my arm and helped me back into the bed.

"Touko" my voice said hoarsely. Touko looked at me for a second before grabbing a glass of ice water off the night stand. She handed it to me, and I gulped it down like there was no tomorrow. I was parched. "What happened?" I said slowly, testing out my voice.

"I don't know. You tell me. One second you're at my front door and the next thing I know, you're on the ground unconscious. The doctor told me that you were dehydrated, had heat exhaustion, and were physically and mentally drained of energy. What happened to you?" Touko said softly. I could see her eyes starting to tear up. One tear escaped her eye and I gently wiped it way with my thumb. She leaned into my touch.

"Don't cry" I whispered soothingly. "Everything's okay now. I promise."

"I believe you. So what happened, and who's Prescott?" I tensed up under her curious gaze. Touko must have noticed my actions because her eyes narrowed at me.

"Where did you hear that name?"

"You were talking in your sleep. You have been for the past two days."

"Oh. Well she's a girl I met at the Team Plasma Castle. She was my fiancée for a little while" I said, shrugging it off like it was no big deal. I didn't want Touko to make a big deal out of it.

"Fiancée?!" Touko screeched.

"Yeah, but that wasn't the worst part" I said. "The worst part was seeing my father again. I could have lived the rest of my life without seeing that man again. He was malicious."

"So you mean you didn't want to marry that girl?" Touko asked carefully.

"Of course not! Why would I? The only girl I would ever want to marry is you!" I said. Touko stared at me in awe. I clamped my mouth shut as my face started to heat up. Touko sported a light blush on her cheeks. I opened my mouth to say more but no sound came out.

"I want the whole story" Touko said. I smiled. I knew she would.

"Well my problems and misery all started in the helicopter…got beat up…then I was made king…Rosaline and Eve, who looked just like you…I may have cracked and tried to kiss Eve…Prescott looked like some kind of mean school girl…I snapped once she slapped me…we devised a plan for me to escape…I wrote a letter to everyone saying that Team Plasma was officially over…Eve confessed her love to me…my friends helped me…the sun was excruciating and my feet were killing me…ran into a few Team Plasma grunts…made it to Nuvema Town…saw you and I guess passed out" I explained. I tried to nail the story down to every last detail and throw in a little extra.

"Wow" Touko breathed out. "You went through a lot in that month. Do you want to know my side of the story?"

"Yeah! I bet you couldn't cope without me" I guessed with a wiggle of my eyebrows up and down. She lightly punched me on the arm.

"Of course I couldn't cope without you! I practically cried every night, and I couldn't sleep" Touko scolded. My playful smile immediately turned into a frown as guilt filled my heart. I wrapped my arms around Touko and pulled her close. My chin rested on top of her head.

"I'm sorry. I wanted to come back a lot sooner than I did. I didn't mean to upset you" I mumbled into her hair. I planted many small kisses on her head too. Touko gave a small shake of her head and weak but sincere smile.

"N, how am I supposed to tell you what happened if you keep talking?" she joked.

"Sorry, continue" I urged.

"Anyway, after you left I decided to go search for you and possibly rescue you. I told Cheren about my idea but not my mom. I was going to tell Bianca, but I couldn't find her. The next day after making my decision to go, I set off…I was attacked by Team Plasma grunts while flying on Zekrom…spontaneously and erratically grunts came out of nowhere…my Pokémon were physically drained even if I did have my legendary team…kept travelling but getting nowhere…decided to give up the search because I could get within ten miles of the castle…waited for your return while staying at my house…and poof! You appeared out of nowhere. Been with you ever since" Touko finished off.

"I thought I was the one having problems. Aren't you super tired too? Your Pokémon sound wore out, and I'm worn out still. What about you? I don't want you pushing yourself" I added out of concern while rubbing Touko's arm with my hand.

"Sure, I'm tired but not drained. I've had quite a few days to rest at home. Besides, I'm tough. I don't get taken down that easily" Touko complimented to herself. I chuckled.

"Right, whatever you want to believe."

"Don't be so mean! I might just leave and go home. I won't come to see you unless you get up and visit me yourself" Touko threatened. "It might be a few days though. Your leg muscles still need to rest, and you need to get your energy up while drinking lots of fluids of course" she added thoughtfully.

"You wouldn't" I said lowly.

"Try me" she challenged. We glared at each other for a minute before she stood up. "Guess I'll be going then." The teenager started to walk away, but I grabbed her wrist before she could get any farther.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you" I pouted with my lower lip sticking out. She turned her head just enough to look at me from the corner of her eyes. Her cheeks puffed out and a hand flew over her mouth to stifle her laughter. She couldn't contain it anymore before just letting the sound resonate throughout the house. "What's so funny?" I questioned out of confusion. Her slender hand pointed an accusing finger at me.

"Your face!"

"My face? What does it look like?" I reached up and touched my face with both hands. Nothing felt out of the ordinary.

"It looks pathetic" she said bluntly.

"Thanks for telling me" I grumbled sarcastically.

"No. Not because of your pouting. It's because your face is really pale, and it's sort of sunken in. There are quite a few scratches everywhere too."

"So I look like I've been out in the wild trying to survive or something?"

"Yeah, that's a way of looking at it" Touko giggled. She sure knows how to lower someone's morale. "Don't worry though. You're still handsome." I smirked.

"Come here" I playfully growled. I yanked on Touko's wrist and pulled her towards me. She was caught by surprise and fell back onto the bed beside me. I wrapped my arms around her body and drew her towards me. Her back met my bare chest. Touko squirmed.

"N, let go of me" Touko demanded with no ounce of seriousness in her tone at all.

"You'll have to persuade me" I said seductively in her ear. I just got Touko back, and I wasn't going to let her leave me that easily. Why not have a little fun with her?

"N" Touko said distastefully.

"That wasn't persuasive at all" I complained. Touko's struggle increased as she tried to release herself from my hold. Her nails dug into my arm as she clawed at the flesh. "Ow."

"I know! How about after we eat breakfast, I can do whatever you want me to? Deal?" my mischievous girlfriend purred. My eyes grew as big as saucers. Whatever I want her to?

"I-I-I" I stuttered. My arms loosened their hold on the slender girl, and she wiggled free.

"I'll take that as a yes" Touko chirped. She ran out the room and down the stairs. My hearing picked up on the clattering of pots and pans. I was still too stunned to move. I could get Touko to do whatever I wanted, but what did I want her to do? My mind was blank as I tried to think of an idea. I wouldn't want Touko to do something she wasn't ready for so doing what I really wanted to do was out of the picture. Maybe I could ask for a kiss. No that's a bad idea. I can't waste an opportunity like this on something I could get anytime I wanted. So what?

"N! The food's almost finished. I'll be up in five minutes. I hope you have an idea of what you want me to do" Touko's voice rang out. I opened my mouth to call back but no sound came out for the second time that day. Why did that girl have such an effect on me? My mind began to wander as I pondered on more ideas. Before I could come up with anything, Touko came back into the room with a tray of breakfast foods. She climbed up onto the bed beside me and set the tray down on my legs. "We can share." I nodded and reached for a french toast stick. Touko reached at the same time I did, and our hands touched. Touko blushed and looked away. "You can have that one." My mouth went dry as I stared intently at Touko's face. I instantly knew what I wanted Touko to do. I gulped and licked my lips in anticipation. What would she say to my request? Reject it? Accept it?

"Touko?" I started to catch the young girl's attention. She looked at me and her lips were drawn into a smile.

"Hm?" she hummed out in question.

"I thought of what I wanted you to do" I said softly, shyly. I could feel my face slowly heat up. A light pink dusted her cheeks as I stated that I knew what I wanted.

"Y-Yes?" she asked nervously.

"Earlier, I said that the only person I would want to marry is you. I wanted you to make me that happiest guy in the world by marrying me. So, will you marry me?" I asked gently but confidently. Touko's face turned a bright red at my proposal.

"M-M-Marry you?" she stammered. "I'm only sixteen." I chuckled at her flushed expression.

"I know. We don't have to get married right away. We can wait until you're old enough; I just wanted to ask now. I really want to know what you would say, how you would answer. So what do you think?" Touko stared at me intensely as her eyes flickered back and forth across my face. I couldn't read her expression as different emotions flickered on and off her face. Our blue eyes met, and I knew she had an answer.

"N, you know I love you with all my heart, right?" the teenage brunette said.

"Of course. I love you too" I said sadly. Her voice sounded apologetic as if she was going to reject me. My body started shaking.

"Then why are you asking me silly questions like 'Will you marry me?' You should already know what I would say. Of course I'll marry you!" she shouted out excitedly. Touko threw her body at mine and landed on top of me. I couldn't help but grin uncontrollably at her response. Touko wrapped her arms around my neck, and I returned the gesture by doing the same thing to her. She flashed me a toothy grin before pecking me on the lips.

"You have no idea how happy I am right now. This is the best welcome home present ever." We both started to laugh, and Touko laid her head on my shoulder. "Can we keep this to ourselves? At least until I'm better? Afterwards, we can spread the news together."

"Anything you want. I don't care what we do, as long as I'm with you." I sighed out in happiness.

"Thank you" I murmured into Touko's hair. "I really missed you."

"I missed you too" she replied.

**A/N: Oh! Next chapter has Touko and N telling everyone about their engagement. Review or flame.**


	23. Black and White

_Three days later…_

Touko's POV

"Are you sure you want to do this?" I asked the stubborn man in front of me. Said man huffed at my question.

"Of course I am" he said, fully ready to take on this challenge. I helped my tea green haired boyfriend sit up and swing his legs over the edge of the bed.

"Do you want me to get your cane?"

"No, I—" N started to say as he stood up but stopped once he fell face first onto the floor. "Okay, yeah. That would be helpful" he groaned out. I smirked. Of course it would be helpful. N is such a dope. I walked over to the corner of the room and grabbed the white cane.

"Here. You should have taken it when you first tried to stand up and this wouldn't have happened. You know the doctor said that your legs will be extremely weak for a few days from being overly used then not used at all" I scolded with my hands planted firmly on my hips to emphasize my anger.

"Touko, I'm a grown man. I don't need a piece of wood to help me walk. At least, I didn't want its help" N grumbled. I burst into a fit of laughter.

"Well too bad. It wants to help you. Am I right, little cane?" I teased. N muttered something inaudible. "What was that?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing" N said quickly.

"Good. Now come on. I can't wait to tell everyone about us being engaged" I said excitedly. N chuckled.

"Touko, I still need a shower and to get changed. You might have to wait a little longer." I crossed my arms over my chest and pouted. My eyes scanned N's body. He wore nothing but green boxers. However, I could see the dirt on his body from travelling through the woods five days prior. He really stunk too from sweating a lot because of his high temperature. A random thought occurred to me as I looked over N once more. "How do you plan on getting a shower?" N looked at me in confusion. I sighed. "You can't get a shower by yourself. You'll only be able to use one hand because the other one will be supporting your weight on the cane. You'll have to take a bath."

"I hate baths" N whined.

"You're such a baby" I snorted. N's eyes grew wide, and he looked at me with a puppy dog face. My eyes narrowed at him. "What do you want?"

"Can you give me a bath?" he pleaded. My face grew red.

"No! Like you said earlier, you're a grown man. Do it yourself."

"But Touko, my muscles are still sore, and I'm still tired. You just have to wash my body and hair. I'll wear my swim trunks!"

"N, I—" I began but stopped. N looked so helpless as he stared at me. His legs and body were already shaking pretty badly from the effort he was putting into staying upright and not falling over. His skin was still on the pale side, and his eyes were dull, almost lifeless looking.

"Fine" I agreed. N's face broke into a grin.

"I love you, Touko." He started to hesitantly step towards his dresser, taking each step with extreme caution as he placed his foot forward to make sure it supported his weight. He finally limped to his dresser after a few excruciatingly long minutes. He rummaged through the drawers until pulling out an article of clothing. It was his gray swim trunks. "Now, leave and I'll get changed." I nodded and left. I closed the door behind me.

"If I hear a thump, then I'm coming in there whether you're decent or not to make sure you didn't fall" I called out.

"Yeah, okay" N's voice called back. He was such a careless idiot that I didn't know how I put up with him for eight years. I impatiently tapped my foot against the carpeted floor. Too bad I have my socks on and the floors made of carpet. If I didn't then N would be able to hear my impatience with his own ears. After three more minutes of nonstop tapping, N's bedroom door opened, and he stepped out in his swim trunks.

"It's about time" I said as I threw my hands up in the air to add a more dramatic effect.

"Well, I'm out now so let's get this done and over with so that we can tell your mom our big news." I made a few steps towards N and wrapped an arm around his waist to steady him some more. We both went across the hall and into the bathroom. I got down on my hands and knees and started the bath water so it could warm up. N patiently sat down on the closed toilet lid waiting. I smiled at him and took off my black vest so it wouldn't get wet.

"The tub's full" N announced. I turned my attention back to the water and turned off the faucet.

"Get in" I commanded. N groaned but did what I told him. He sat down on the bottom of the tub and the water reached his waist. I reached past N and grabbed a nearby sponge. I gently dunked it in the water then lathered it up with soap.

"Arms first." N raised an arm, and I grabbed it. I ran the sponge gently up and down N's arm. Suds covered his pale flesh. I repeated the same process with his other arm and legs. Afterwards, my eyes scanned the bathroom for an empty cup to fill with water. I spotted one and got up to get it. I filled it up with fresh clean water from the faucet before dumping it on N's soapy limbs. N stared straight ahead the whole time with an emotionless expression on his face the whole time. I smiled as I noticed the light blush dusting his cheeks. I lathered up the sponge again and ran the foamy object across N's chest and back. This time I could feel myself blushing a little. I glanced up at N for a millisecond to see his blush increase too. I rinsed him off again then dumped water over his unruly hair. His hair immediately plastered to his face and decreased in volume. N jumped at the sudden splash of water in his face and squeezed his eyes shut.

"You could have warned me" N whispered softly.

"Sorry" I said. I really didn't mean to surprise him. I thought he saw me raise the cup above his head, apparently not. He must have spaced out. I reached past N again as I grabbed the shampoo and conditioner bottles. The shampoo made a squirting noise as it came out of the bottle. I smiled to myself. I began to rub my hands together and grabbed N's green locks. I gradually worked the product into N's hair going from the bottom to the top. Once I reached his scalp, I lightly massaged it with my fingers to get the dry skin off his head. N tensed up under my touch but almost immediately relaxed afterwards.

"That feels soothing" N murmured happily.

"Does it?" I joked.

"Mmhmm" he hummed. I finished shampooing his hair a little while later and rinsed it so it was free of shampoo.

"I just have to do the conditioner, and I'm done."

"Mmhmm." I shook my head back and forth. Sheesh, he would rather have me give him a bath all day than do anything else. The conditioning process went a lot quicker than the shampooing since my fingers easily slipped through his hair without getting caught in knots. I love conditioner it makes your hair tangle free and really soft and shiny. For the last time, I filled the empty cup up with water and rinsed out the conditioner. I grabbed the plug and yanked it out of the tub to let the water drain.

"Stand up. I'll help you so you don't slip and fall" I instructed. N slowly stood up but kept quiet. I handed him his cane, and he grabbed it, clutching the thing in his right hand. That left me with his left side. I curled my fingers around his bicep to help keep him from slipping. N lifted his foot over the edge of the tub and placed it on the ground. He did the same with the other and safely made it out of the tub. "Let me get you a towel." N didn't say anything, he just looked at me. I walked over to the towel rack and grabbed two towels. I draped one over N's shoulders and used the other one to dry N's hair.

"I could have done that" N said so softly that I almost didn't hear him.

"Don't worry about it. Besides, I need you in tip top shape for when we go see my mom. I want you looking your best and be at your full strength" I stated. I continued to dry N's hair until it started to fluff out a little. Good. I grabbed the brush on the sink and started to drag it through N's long hair. It barley hit any knots or tangles, so I was happy. "You can use that other towel to dry off your body before you get dressed. I'll be in the guest bedroom if you need anything." I pressed a kiss to N's cheek before leaving him on his own. I grabbed my vest on the way out and put it back on. As soon as I went onto the guest bedroom, I grabbed my pink bag and started to pack up my things. Packing took me about ten minutes. I slung the bag over my shoulder and walked out of the room. At the same time, the door to N's room opened up. N looked my way and gave a little wave. He was back into his normal attire.

"Are you ready?" N asked.

"I've been ready since you got up" I replied with an eye roll and smile. I walked back to N's side and wrapped and arm around his waist like earlier to help him walk better. We slowly made our descent down the stairs until we reached the bottom. I could feel N's body tremble with effort, and his muscles tried to stay strong.

"Can we stop to check the mail on our way over to your house?" N asked hopefully. I rose an eyebrow in question but shrugged and let my curiosity, to why he was so eager to get the mail, fade away. N limped to the door, and I tried to keep pace with him and not pass him up. We both walked out of N's house and reached the mailbox in a good ten minutes. N was so slow. N opened the mailbox and peered inside. Joy overran his features as he pulled out a small cardboard box.

"What is it?" I pondered.

"It's a surprise" N chuckled before shoving the box into his pocket and dragging me towards my house. We both went inside upon arrival and sat down on the couch. Mom must have heard us because she came down not even a minute later.

"Oh Natural, dear. How are you feeling? I'm sure Touko took extra special care of you" Mom chirped.

"I'm doing great, thanks Mrs. White" N responded.

"Touko told me about how the doctor visited you yesterday. I hope you can start walking properly soon. You look really drained."

"Yeah, I am pretty tired, but I can pull through" N said back with a weak smile. I gently pulled on N's sleeve and looked at him.

"Can we tell her?" I whispered.

"Sure" N said. I stared at her intently. My mom looked at us curiously.

"What is it?"

"Mom, N and I have something to tell you" I said so quickly that I had to catch my breath. I couldn't contain my excitement. N placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Breathe" he instructed.

"Oh Arceus, I knew it! You're pregnant, aren't you?" Mom blurted out. She looked panic stricken for a second before her face went serious, and she coldly stared at N. "Natural, we talked about this. You weren't supposed to go that far with my little girl until she was older" Mom scolded. N's face turned all shades of red from embarrassment. My face started to heat up too.

"Mom, I—" I began.

"Oh no. You don't have to defend him. I know this is a two person job, so this is equally your fault for not being responsible. But if you are happy with this, then I will help you with anything you need. I really can't say that I'm particularly mad at you; I'm actually quite thrilled to have a grandchild but—" Mom ranted.

"Mom!" I shouted. Mom looked at me. N looked like he was about to die from embarrassment. I could feel his body weight start to press against me. If I wasn't there to keep him sitting up, then I think he would have fainted by now.

"Yes, sweetie?"

"I'm not pregnant" I bluntly stated.

"You're not?"

"Nope."

"Then what is it you wanted to tell me?"

"Touko and I are going to get married!" N practically screamed out. Everything went silent. I glared at him. Way to just throw it at her.

"Married?" Mom questioned.

"Yes, married" I clarified. Mom's face turned from one of confusion to even more confusion.

"When?" she asked.

"In a few years, maybe when I'm eighteen" I answered. N gazed at me lovingly, and I gazed back. Mom's expressionless face turned into one of glee.

"How wonderful! What a nice surprise! I didn't know you had it in you, Natural?"

"Huh?" N said dumbfounded.

"You always had so much trouble with your feelings for Touko that I didn't think you'd ask her until a few more years, but this is just as exciting."

"Gee, thanks" N said sarcastically.

"So where's the ring?"

"N didn't get a chance to get one yet. You know, he's been bed ridden for a few days."

"Actually," N said, "I've got it right here." N shoved his hand in his pants pocket and fumbled around looking for something. N's face lit up with happiness as he withdrew the small cardboard box out from his pants. "Ah ha! Got it!"

"That box?" I said. "Is that why you wanted to go check the mail?" N nodded. He opened up the small package to reveal a small velvet box.

"I ordered it after you went to sleep the other night and had it shipped to the house the other night. You know, express delivery?" N explained. "Take a look." N snapped the lid of the ring box open to reveal a small silver band with a big black diamond in the center of a circle of white diamonds; a few white diamonds went down the sides of the band too. I gasped and my hand flew over my mouth. My mother's actions mimicked mine.

"It's beautiful" I said, with tears in my eyes.

"Would you like to try it on?" I vigorously shook my head as N slid the piece of jewelry onto my ring finger. It fit perfectly.

"I got the black and white diamonds because it fits your personality. It's sort of like the walls of your room at the Pokémon League."

"You remembered?" I said in awe.

"How could I forget? But you know? Not everything is black and white with us. We have some seriously messed up lives" N said seriously. I couldn't believe he just said that with a straight face. I couldn't help but laugh. N's face broke into a smile. He started to laugh along with me. We did have some pretty messed up lives.

**A/N: Black diamonds are so pretty. Don't judge me. Comment or leave questions if needed.**


	24. Brothers

N's POV

"Bye, Mrs. White" I called out as Touko and I walked back to my house. My free arm was securely wrapped around Touko's waist, and her arm was around mine. I carefully placed each foot in front of me as I walked to make sure I didn't trip or fall. I grimaced each time I took a step forward.

"How are you holding up?" Touko's face showed concern. I smiled.

"I'm fine. I think I can make it back to the house" I told her.

"If you say so" Touko said softly. I quickened my pace a little as did Touko. I really wanted to get home and sit down.

"Should we call Cheren and Bianca? They probably want to hear out big news. I bet Bianca will freak. Not out of excitement though, probably because we didn't tell her right after I accepted your proposal" Touko said. I chuckled.

"You think she'll be jealous? I mean, she was the first one who wanted to marry me" I joked. Touko lightly hit me on the arm.

"N!" she tried to say harshly but not succeeding. "She was eight years old!"

"I know. I know. You were eight years old too. But you didn't want to marry me? You wanted to marry Cheren" I said distastefully. Touko hit me again but a little harder this time. A small blush was on her face.

"So what? I didn't know what love was at that age. It was just a little crush. I got over it. Besides, I'm with you now, and Cheren is just a friend. No, he's like my brother."

"You know? I never told you this, but I was really jealous of Cheren. Sure you spent a lot of time with me, but you also spent a lot of time with him. He yelled at me for being possessive of you. Funny huh? I was jealous of a nine year old. I didn't stop being jealous until you were thirteen" I confessed. Touko looked at me, and her expression softened.

"I'm sorry" she whispered. "I hurt you for all those years without even knowing it. I should have known, especially when you learned that I could keep spending the night with Cheren but not you. I'm so so sorry."

"It's okay. I knew that you didn't feel the same way towards me as I did towards you. It was my fault I felt that way. It was my fault that I was jealous. I thought it was my punishment for falling in love with you when you were only eight" I stated. Touko stared at me.

"You can't control who you fall in love with" she said. I stared at her for a few seconds before looking away. We walked the rest of the way to my house in silence. Touko opened the door to me as soon as we reached it.

"Thanks" I said. We both walked into the house, and I practically fell on my face as I quickly limped to the couch. I landed on it with a thump and sighed out in bliss as my body weight was taken off my legs.

"I'm going to go call Cheren and Bianca and tell them to come over. Why don't you watch TV while you wait" Touko suggested. I shrugged. The television flickered on as I pressed the power button on the remote. Immediately, the show 'The Best Day' came on.

"In today's segment, we'll be talking about the most famous Trainer in the Unova region, Touko. Touko is the Champion of Unova for those of you who didn't know. As for one of Touko's best days, she defeated 187 Pokémon in a single day. A single day, folks! She must love to encounter lots of Pokémon. That's all for today" the TV announced. I sat there with my mouth hanging open. She defeated 187 Pokémon in one day! What was she doing? Trying to make her Pokémon undefeatable?

"N? Is something wrong?" Touko's voice interrupted my thoughts. I turned my head to look at her.

"You defeated 187 Pokémon in one day?!" I shouted out in shock. Touko put a finger to her chin as she thought about it.

"I suppose it could have been that many. I think it was the day when I was—" Touko began but stopped as the doorbell rang. Touko looked at me apologetically before going to answer the door. Once she opened it, Cheren and Bianca burst into my house. Bianca was glowing with happiness as she skipped towards me. She reached me and leaned down to wrap her arms around my neck. She nuzzled my cheek happily.

"Oh, N! I'm so glad you're okay. I missed you! When did you wake up? Cheren and I thought you went into a coma or something" she squealed.

"Only you thought that" Cheren grumbled with his arms crossed over his chest.

"I woke up about three days ago" I replied to her question. She pulled back from me as a wicked grin crossed her face.

"Oh, I see. We weren't informed about this. I guess Touko wanted to spent some precious _alone_ time with you" Bianca teased. Touko's face turned red from anger and embarrassment.

"Bianca!" Touko screamed out as she started to chase her blonde friend around the room.

"Can't you guys ever act your age?" Cheren said with an annoyed expression on his face.

"How are you, Cheren?" I asked.

"Been better" he muttered, not looking at me.

"Is something wrong?" I politely asked. He remained silent. Touko must have been listening because she stopped chasing Bianca around and walked to Cheren's side. She draped an arm around Cheren's shoulders.

"Don't feel bad. Cheren likes to not share his feelings with others. He really missed you" Touko said with a smile. Cheren's arms fell to his sides, and his hands clenched into fists. A shadow shielded his expression from me, but I could see him grit his teeth. I watched him as a lone tear rolled down his chin and hit the floor. Suddenly the next thing I knew, he grabbed the collar of my shirt and pulled my face towards his.

"DON'T YOU EVER DO THAT AGAIN! WE WERE ALL WORRIED SICK ABOUT YOU! You're like my brother, N! I don't know what I'd do if I never saw you again. So promise me you'll never leave like that again! I don't want to feel this way again!" Cheren said as he broke down in front of me. Did he say brother? His forehead rested against my chest as he cried. I didn't know what to do. I hesitantly patted his back in comfort. Emotions played with my heart. I hurt everyone I cared about more than I knew it. Was Bianca this upset too? Was Touko silently screaming inside? Did she lock all of her emotions inside her heart? Did she actually want to cry and scream at me just like Cheren did? I could feel my heart slowly tear in two as I searched Bianca's and Touko's faces. Their expressions each held a smile; only one of them wore the true smile, however. Bianca was as energetic and peppy as ever. Touko, however, her smile was indeed real but her eyes showed more to it. I could easily tell that she was heavily guarding her feelings. Her eyes told me that she wanted to let her emotions show and be let out, but something was holding her back. I looked away and looked down at Cheren again. He was staring at me with a tear stained face, waiting for me to promise him I'd never disappear like that again.

"I promise" I said sincerely. His eyes lit up as he pulled back from me. His hands slowly released my shirt. It was crumpled in the areas he held just a few seconds ago. He stood up and used the sleeve of is shirt to wipe his eyes. I glanced from Cheren's face back to Touko's. Her eyes wouldn't fully meet mine. My heart probably just tore in four now. I decided to ignore Touko for a second as I looked back at Cheren. "You're like my brother too." He smiled then straightened his tie as transformed back into his composed self.

He cleared his throat before looking at Touko and saying, "So? Why did you call us over here? Was it to see that N was awake?" Touko shook her head before walking over to me and sitting down. She motioned for Bianca and Cheren to do the same with a wave of her hand.

"We have something to tell you" I declared. Bianca leaned forward in anticipation with her hands clasped together. Cheren closed his eyes and leaned back in the chair he was in. His arms crossed over his chest. He might have looked like he didn't care, but I could tell he was waiting for us to tell him our news. One of his eyes was open and looking at us.

"N and I are going to get married" Touko said as she grabbed my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. I nervously flicked my gaze back and forth from our two friends. Out of nowhere, Bianca jumped out of her seat and let out the loudest squeal I ever heard.

"Oh, I just adore weddings! When is it? Do you need help picking out your dress?" she questioned excitedly. Touko laughed.

"Whoa! Calm down."

"Can I be the maid of honor?" I shook my head in amusement.

"Of course you can. You're my best friend. But we're not getting married until a couple of years" Touko clarified.

"I hope you'll be the best man when the time comes" I said while looking at Cheren.

"Sure, whatever" he replied carelessly.

"So when did he ask you?" Bianca whispered to Touko.

"The day he woke up." Bianca kept asking questions, and Touko answered each of them. Finally, Bianca noticed Touko's engagement ring and fawned over it. Girls were so weird. I heard Cheren move, and I focused my attention on him. He motioned for me to follow him. I silently groaned. I grabbed my white cane that I leaned against the coffee table and stood up.

"I'll be right back" I whispered in Touko's ear. I don't know if she heard me or not, for she and Bianca were still chit chatting away, and she made no acknowledgement that she did hear me. I staggered over to Cheren and followed him outside onto the porch. I stared out at the town. The sun was setting in the distance. It looked really pretty against the ocean. My house had the best view to the ocean ever. "What did you need?"

"I wanted to talk to you about Touko" he said as he put his hands on the railing of the porch and stared out to see. A warm breeze blew and made our hair billow around.

"What about?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow up.

"First, congratulations!"

"Thanks. I'm glad she said yes. I was so scared when I asked her."

"Yeah, I would be too. You should be glad she didn't punch you or something." I looked at him in shock. She wouldn't do that, would she? Cheren shrugged. "It's a possibility. So anyway, about Touko."

"Yeah?" Cheren turned towards me as his expression turned serious. I flinched away at his harsh cold gaze.

"Hurt Touko and I'll kill you" he said darkly. I was taken back. What happened to the Cheren that was crying and saying how much he missed me? Now he was saying he wanted to kill me? These people born and raised in Nuvema Town are seriously crazy.

"Right" I said fearfully. I know that I can be heartless and cruel too, but Cheren looks like a murderer when he threatens someone.

"Good" he stated with an evil smile. "How about we go back inside? Your fiancée is probably waiting for you." I nodded my head in agreement. Cheren walked over to the door and opened it for me. I walked over to Cheren and whacked him in the shin with my cane. "Ow!" I smirked.

"That's for ever thinking I would hurt Touko" I continued into the house. Cheren tripped me as I passed him. I fell forward with a yelp as I landed roughly on my cane.

"That's for ever thinking that I would ever think that you would hurt Touko" Cheren said back to me with a smirk. He walked past me and held out a hand. I grasped it as he pulled me to my feet.

"Cheren?!" Touko gasped out. She rushed to my side and picked my cane up off the ground and handed it to me. The two teenagers glared at each other for a second before Cheren started to smile.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, Touko. I was just thinking about how brothers always fight." With that final comment, he walked over to Bianca and put his arm around her shoulders. "Come on. I think it's about time we get going." The two of them left without another word, leaving me alone with the furious brunette.

"Oh that Cheren, he's gonna get it one of these days" Touko huffed as she glared daggers at the door. She spun around to look at me with concern etching her features.

"Are you alright? Did you and Cheren get into a fight?"

"No. He just wanted to tell me something."

"Oh really? What did he say?" Touko asked sweetly. Curiosity danced in her eyes.

"Nothing important. But I actually want to talk to you too" I said softly. I put my hand on the small of Touko's back and led her to the stairs. "Come on. Well talk about it in my room." Touko looked at me worriedly but said nothing as she helped me climb the stairs and to my room.

**A/N: I love Cheren and N bonding so much. Cheren does not have any romantic feelings towards N. I can see it that way though. Review, please. The next chapter is also the last one.**


	25. Mrs Harmonia or Mrs Gropius?

Touko's POV

What does N want to talk about? He looks pretty serious about whatever it is. I hope it's nothing major. "Come on. Tell me. What do you want to talk about?" I urged as we sat down on N's bed. N sighed as he set his cane against the wall.

"Touko, how do you feel right now?" N asked.

"Feel? I feel fine" I said thoughtfully.

"I mean, how do you feel inside? Your heart, does it feel sad?" N questioned softly. My heart? What's he blabbering on about?

"My heart? Does it feel sad? I don't think so. I don't fully understand what you're trying to ask." N groaned out in frustration. I looked at him with a questioning gaze. He glanced at me and suddenly grabbed me by the shoulders.

"I want to know if you want to cry. Do you just want to cry, scream at me, laugh insanely? I know you want to do something, but what?" N said desperately.

"What are you talking about?" I said harshly.

"Today, Cheren, he cried in front of me. He freakin' cried for Arceus sake. Cheren doesn't show his emotions like you said, but he let them freely flow today. I want to know if you feel like that. Ever since I woke up, the only emotions you ever showed were happiness, annoyance, love, and maybe you cried for like two minutes but that's it. Are you locking up your true feelings? Are you screaming on the inside? Why won't you just show me how you feel? I want to help you" N said. His blue eyes searched mine for answers. He looked so lost and confused but also hurt and betrayed. Truthfully, I never even thought about how I felt. I was overjoyed that N came home, but did I feel any negative emotions? I thought about it. I was angry at N for letting himself get taken, but also angry at myself for letting him get taken. I was also sad. He was home, so I shouldn't be sad anymore but I was a little down. Besides having a mental break down on the first day he was kidnapped, I never really cried or anything while searching for him. Maybe since I kept my sadness buried deep in my heart, it was trying to finally get free. Before I knew it, I could feel tears running down my face. N was doing is best to wipe them away with his thumbs. "You can yell, scream, punch, kick, or do anything you want to me." I couldn't help but laugh a little.

"You big idiot" I said while grabbing his shirt similarly to the way Cheren did earlier. I buried my face in his chest and sobbed. N stroked my hair and whispered sweet nothings in my ear to calm me down. I screamed once or twice and pounded on his chest for a little bit out of anger, but mostly just cried. I felt N shift his position, and he pulled me down on top him as he lay on the bed.

"Don't cry" he mumbled. If anything, I cried even harder. My emotions were finally being released after a whole month of keeping them bundled up deep inside.

"Idiot. Idiot. Idiot" I repeatedly cried. N lifted my chin up to look up at him after a while. We stared into each other's eyes, and he leaned down and kissed my cheeks then forehead.

"Show me a smile" he said sweetly. I kept staring at him. He smiled at my actions. N slowly leaned down and tenderly kissed me on the lips. I started to smile. He pulled away and looked at me. "There it is" he announced. I rolled my eyes. They felt heavy. The next thing I knew was that I was waking up in N's arms as the moonlight shone down on us through the window. My eyes widened. Did I fall asleep? I must have. I wonder what time it is? I tried to shift my body to look at the digital clock on the night stand but failed in turning my body around. N's arms around me tightened, and they pulled me closer to his body. My face was pushed against his neck. I glanced up at N's sleeping face. This almost felt like that one time when I was thirteen, and N wouldn't let go of me even though I told him to. Wait a second! N said he fell in love with me when I was eight, so was he holding me on purpose or on instinct? That pervert! I angrily glared at N's sleeping face. His bangs hung loosely over his eyes, and his mouth was open a little bit. I could easily hear him breathing. I sighed. He looked so peaceful. I could never stay mad at him when he looked angelic.

"Stupid N, why can't I stay mad at you?!" I whispered to myself furiously. I bent my head a little to rest against N's shoulder. I stared at our bodies in silence. Only until a little while later, did I notice what we were wearing. N wore nothing but his boxers. I, however, was wearing one of N's white shirts. It reached down to the middle of my thighs. My face reddened. Did N see me in my bra and underwear? Oh god! What bra and underwear was I wearing today?! I quickly but carefully, to not disturb N and wake him up, pulled up the edge of the shirt. I squinted my eyes to try and get a better look at the piece of clothing, for it was hard to see it in the dark. My eyes widened in fear as I realized that I was wearing my black bra and underwear. They were one of my sexier looking pair. I could have fainted right then and there if I knew that N saw them for sure, but I wasn't sure so fainting was not going to happen at the moment. I closed my eyes and prayed that in the morning when I asked N about who undressed me that it wouldn't be him.

_In the morning…_

I turned over in the bed with a groan. I stretched out as much as I could before hitting a solid object with my hand. I heard a grunt before a moaning noise. The solid object disappeared from out under my hand. I snapped my eyes opened then pushed myself up, so I sat on my knees. My gaze landed on N, who was sitting up and rubbing his face. His face must have been the object I whacked with my hand. My hands flew to my mouth in horror as blood seeped out of N's nose. "I am so sorry" I screeched. I didn't mean to hit him that hard. I jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom. I frantically scanned the room. A washcloth appeared in my line of sight, and I snatched it off the edge of the tub before shoving it under the running water. I went back to N's room and climbed onto the bed. I reached his side in no time. I gently rubbed the blood off his face. He stared at me the whole time.

"That was some wakeup call" he joked once I pulled my hand away from his face. There was a goofy grin on his face.

"It was an accident" I said.

"I know" N said. He leaned in and kissed me. I kissed back, and I was about to step the kissing up a notch before remembering that I needed to ask N about who undressed me yesterday. I pulled away from N, and he looked disappointed. I smirked.

"So lover boy, who undressed me yesterday?" I asked. N face turned a light shade of pink.

"I did" he muttered, clearly embarrassed. My face heated up at the confession. I was silently panicking too.

"So you saw my bra and underwear?" I squeaked out. N stared at me for a second before I saw his eyes slowly travel down my body and back up. Was he checking me out? Or was he imagining me in my bra and underwear?!

"Yes" N said so quietly that I almost didn't hear him. My face heated up, and I could see his get a little redder too. I also noticed his nose start to bleed again.

"N?!" I whined out in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry! I just thought you would be more comfortable in something different. I didn't mean any harm. Please, don't hit me" he shrieked and shielded his face with his arms. I was so angry at him that I didn't notice myself raising a fist. I sighed.

"I'm not going to hit you" I said calmly. N moved his arms away from his face and observed me like he wasn't sure if I was telling the truth or not. He seemed ready to protect himself in case I was lying. "I guess I shouldn't be too mad" I said as I slowly inched my hand forward with the washcloth. N's gazed landed on my approaching hand and flinched away. The rag was finally only a centimeter from resting on his skin. N stayed frozen in place. I quickly pushed the rag forward before N could move and wiped the fresh blood off his face. "I mean this is sort of, in a way, the way you would see me in a bikini."

"Y-Yeah" N agreed. I finished cleaning his face off and leaned towards him with a grin on my face.

"Maybe you'll see me like this again real soon" I whispered seductively in his ear. I pulled back to see N's eyes wide as saucers. I got up off the bed. "I'm going to get a shower" I said with a wink. "Oh and don't tilt your head back. We don't want the blood going down your throat. Also, give your nose one vigorous blow into a tissue. We don't want there to be a blood clot." N only nodded as I walked out of the room and to the bathroom. I turned on the hot water, and it streamed out of the shower head. I stepped inside after stripping down to nothing. I thoroughly washed my hair and body before turning off the water and stepping back out. I grabbed the extra towels N kept in here and dried my body. Once it was dry, I wrapped the towel around my body and wrapped my hair with the other. I silently cursed myself for forgetting to grab some clothes to change into. I would have to go the whole way back to N's room and dig through his drawers for my extra set of clothes that I kept here for emergencies. I opened the bathroom door and silently crept to N's room. Hopefully, he left and wasn't still in there. I opened the door and walked inside. N was sitting on the bed as he stared at me wide eyed. Arceus, how could I be so stupid? Of course he wouldn't leave. He can barely walk at the moment. He needs a cane for crying out loud! I avoided meeting his eyes as I walked over to the dresser like nothing out of the ordinary was happening. I opened the drawers and rummaged through them until I found my extra clothes. I heard a growl behind me. I turned around. N's eyes hungrily looked at me as the growling continued to escape past his lips.

"Why do you like to torture me?" he growled out. I could sense the need in his voice. "Why do you do this to me?" I walked up to him and pinched his cheek.

"Patience is key. Besides, _teasing_ you is fun" I sung out. I left N sitting on the bed. I could feel his eyes burning a hole in the back of my head as I left. From the way he looked at me earlier, I could tell that if he didn't have trouble walking or standing up, then he would have me pinned against a wall right now. I really hated doing all this to N, but he was just going to have to wait. I went into the bathroom and quickly got dressed then did my hair. I walked out not even five minutes later. I went back into N's room to see him on his back staring at the ceiling.

"Mrs. Harmonia or Mrs. Gropius? Which do you like better?" he said without looking at me. I sounded them out loud to test them out.

"Mrs. Harmonia sounds better on my tongue" I said. He sat up and reached for my hand. He grabbed it and pulled me down. He started to kiss me like it was the last time we would ever kiss again. I wrapped my hands around his neck, and my fingers tangled in his hair as I deepened the kiss. We parted once there was a desperate need for oxygen. We both smiled at each other as our forehead rested against each other.

"Mrs. Harmonia, I love you" N said.

"I'm not Mrs. Harmonia yet but soon. I promise. Oh and N?" I said cheekily.

"Hm?"

"I love you too" I said truthfully before leaning back in for another kiss.

**A/N: The End. So touching. Please leave a review. Tell me how you like my story whether it is about the whole thing or a chapter. Flames are welcome. Oh, and visit my poll for something to go along with this story.**


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